Following the assassination of Ali Laridjani, Iran’s new leader has publicly vowed revenge, labeling the perpetrators “criminal murderers.”
Chamenei Issues Public Statement
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a public statement nearly a day after the Iranian government confirmed the killing of Ali Laridjani.
In a statement conveyed by the Tasnim news agency, Khamenei said he received the news of Laridjani’s death “with great sorrow.” He described Laridjani as an “intelligent, devoted person” and a prominent figure within Iran’s political establishment.
Vow of Retaliation
The most forceful part of the statement concerned the consequences of the attack. “The enemies of Islam should know that shedding this blood at the foot of the Islamic tree will only strengthen it, and every drop of blood, of course, has its price, which the criminal murderers of the martyrs will soon have to pay,” Khamenei stated.
However, the statement did not specify who Khamenei believes is responsible for Laridjani’s assassination, nor did it detail what the promised response would entail.
Laridjani’s Significance Highlighted
Mojtaba Khamenei asserted that the very fact of Laridjani’s killing demonstrates his importance. He stated, “The assassination of such a figure undoubtedly shows the scale of his importance and the hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him.”
Key Security Official Killed
Ali Laridjani was a leading Iranian security official, serving as the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. He was killed in an Israeli attack, which Iranian authorities confirmed on Tuesday. He was 67 years old.
Laridjani was widely believed to have held de facto power in the country following the death of the Supreme Leader in attacks by the US and Israel late last month.
Role in Nuclear Talks and Sanctions
Laridjani was designated to advise Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on strategy during nuclear negotiations with the Donald Trump administration and traveled to Oman to meet with mediators just two weeks before the outbreak of war.
Like other top Iranian leaders, Laridjani was subject to harsh US sanctions and was involved in the brutal suppression of mass protests in January.
Series of Assassinations of Iranian Officials
Former leader Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28th, on the first day of the US and Israeli war with Iran. Since then, several other important Iranian political and military figures have also died, including Golamreza Soleimani, leader of the Basij paramilitary organization.
Earlier reports also surfaced regarding the deaths of Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Mohammad Pakpour.
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