Iranian state-run newspaper Hamshahri has published a 'hit list' of 14 Western leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump, demanding vengeance for the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The list, described as a 'rogues' gallery,' features heavily edited mugshots of the leaders in orange prison jumpsuits, with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shown with targets on their foreheads.
Leaders Targeted in the List
The list includes Starmer, Trump, Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The publication accompanied remarks from Khamenei's successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who stated: 'Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out. These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.'
Mojtaba Khamenei's First Public Comments
This was the first public comment by the new supreme leader since his father's six-day funeral last week, which saw tens of thousands of mourners in Tehran. Speculation grows that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the US airstrike that killed his father. The US launched strikes against Iran after cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz were allegedly attacked, which Iran called 'a gross violation of the UN Charter' and 'a severe threat to international peace.'
Trump's Claims and US Actions
Trump claimed Iran wanted him dead, telling reporters at a NATO summit: 'They want to take out the US leader - me.' CNN reported that Israel had discovered credible evidence of an Iranian plot to kill Trump, months after a Pakistani man was convicted over a separate Iranian plot against the US president. Trump has since pledged a renewed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as the US conflict enters its fifth month.
Iranian Retaliation Threats
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf promised retaliation, stating: 'If you strike, you'll get hit.' A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry called revenge for the Ayatollah's death 'a serious principle and a public demand.' The development comes as Trump vowed to 'reinstate' a blockade on Iran, threatening renewed strikes and saying he will 'hit them very hard.'
