In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful 

“For any verse that We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring forth one better than it or one similar to it” (Quran 2:106).

Peace be upon you, O you who invite to God and are the divinely guided interpreter of His signs.

Peace be upon you, O you who are a gate leading to God and the guardian of His religion.

Peace be upon you, O vicegerent of God and supporter of His truth.

Peace be upon you, O proof of God and guide to His will.

Peace be upon you, O you who has been brought forward and in whom hope is placed.

Peace be upon you with an all-encompassing greeting.

Peace be upon you, O my Master, the Master of the Time. 

To begin with, I would like to offer my condolences to my Master [Imam Mahdi] (may God hasten his reappearance)] on the heart-rending martyrdom of the illustrious, eminent Leader of the Revolution, the wise and beloved Khamenei. And I ask that he will pray for each and every member of the great Iranian nation, for all Muslims throughout the world, for all those who serve Islam and the Revolution, for the veterans, for the families of the martyrs of the Islamic Movement – particularly the families of the martyrs of the recent war, and also for this humble servant.

The second part of what I have to say is addressed to the great nation of Iran. First, I must briefly explain my own position regarding the vote of the honorable Assembly of Experts. This servant of yours, Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, learned of the outcome of the honorable Assembly of Experts’ vote at the same time as you did by way of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network. It’s difficult for me to sit in the place of two illustrious Leaders – the Great [Imam] Khomeini and the Martyred [Imam] Khamenei.  This position was previously filled by someone who, after more than 60 years of striving on the path of God and foregoing all kinds of pleasures and comforts, became a radiant jewel and an eminent figure not only in the present age but throughout the history of this country’s rulers. Both his life and the manner of his death carried a majesty and dignity that arose from his reliance on God.

I was granted the honor of visiting his [the Martyred Leader’s] body after his martyrdom. What I saw was a mountain of strength, and I was told that the fist of his uninjured hand was tightly clenched. Those who are aware of the many dimensions of his personality will have much to say for a long time to come. In this brief message, however, I will suffice with this short remark and leave further details to a more appropriate occasion. This is the reason that assuming the seat of the Leader after such a personage is so difficult. Bridging this gap is only possible by seeking help from Almighty God and with the support of you, the people.

In continuation, I must emphasize a point that is directly tied to the core of what I’ve been saying. That point is this that one of the skills mastered by the Martyred Leader and his great predecessor [Imam Khomeini] was their practice of actively involving the people in every sphere of life, continuously adding to their insight and awareness, and in their actions, they relied on the power of the people. 

In doing this, they brought to life the true meaning of “the people” and “a republic,” which they deeply believed in from the core of their being. The clear effect of this approach became apparent in recent days when the country found itself without a Leader and without a Commander-in-Chief. The insight, intelligence, steadfastness, courage, and active presence of the great Iranian nation in the face of recent events filled our friends with admiration and astonished our enemies. It was you, the people, who led the country and guaranteed its authority. The verse cited at the beginning of this message means that there is no divine sign whose term expires or which is caused to be forgotten except that Almighty God replaces it with one like it or one better than it.

The reason for citing this noble verse is not that this servant stands at the level of the Martyred Leader – let alone that I could be imagined to surpass him. Rather, the purpose of mentioning this verse is to draw attention to the rightful, prominent role of you, the dear [Iranian] nation. That great blessing was taken from us, but in its place, the Ammar-like presence of the Iranian nation was once again granted to this system. Know this that if the strength of you, the Iranian people, isn’t seen in the arena, neither the Leader nor any of the [country’s] various institutions – whose true dignity lies in serving the people – will have the required effectiveness.

For this reality to be realized more fully:

First, remembering Almighty God, relying on Him, and seeking the intercession of the pure lights of the Infallible personages (pbut) must be regarded to be a great elixir and a philosopher’s stone that guarantees every form of relief and certain victory over the enemy. This is a great advantage that you possess and which your enemies lack. 

Second, no harm should come to the unity that exists between all strata and segments of the nation and which usually becomes particularly evident in times of hardship. This can be achieved by setting aside points of difference.

Third, the effective presence [of the Iranian people] on the scene must be maintained – either in the manner you’ve shown during these days and nights of the war or in various instrumental forms such as participation in various social, political, educational, cultural, and even security spheres. What matters is that correct roles be properly understood and implemented to the greatest extent possible without harming the unity of the society. One of the responsibilities of the Leader and certain other officials is to remind the public or various segments of society of some of these roles. For this reason, I emphasize the importance of participating in this year’s [1447 AH/2026 AD] Quds Day rallies, where the spirit of wanting to crush the enemy must be the focus of everyone’s attention.

Fourth, don’t withhold your help and support from one another. Praise God, this has always been an enduring trait of the majority of Iranians, and it’s expected that during these particular days – when naturally some members of the nation are experiencing greater hardships than others – this virtue will shine even more brightly. In this same vein, I call upon all service-providing institutions to spare no effort in delivering every form of aid and assistance to those dear fellow citizens [who are experiencing greater hardships] and to the community-based relief and rescue structures. 

If these points are observed, the path toward days of greatness and dignity for you, the dear nation, will be smooth. The nearest example of this may be victory over the enemy in the current war, God willing.

In the third part of my message, I sincerely thank our courageous fighters at a time when our nation and beloved homeland is being unjustly attacked by the leading countries of the Front of Arrogance. With their crushing blows, the Iranian fighters have blocked the enemy’s path and dispelled the illusion of them being able to dominate or possibly partition our beloved homeland.

My dear brothers in arms! What the Iranian people want is the continuation of an effective defense that makes the enemy regret. Furthermore, the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be employed. Studies have been conducted regarding opening other fronts where the enemy has minimal experience and where it would be highly vulnerable. Should the war continue, activation of such fronts will be carried out based on certain interests.

In addition, I sincerely thank the fighters in the Resistance Front. We regard the countries of the Resistance Front to be our closest friends, and the cause of the Resistance and the resistance Front are an inseparable part of the Islamic Revolution’s values. Without a doubt, cooperation between the members of the Resistance Front will shorten the path to eliminating the Zionist sedition. As we have seen, courageous, faithful Yemen hasn’t stopped defending the oppressed people of Gaza. Despite all obstacles, self-sacrificing Hezbollah has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic, and the Resistance in Iraq has courageously followed the same path.

The fourth part of my address is to those who have been harmed in some way in recent days. Some people’s dear one or loved ones have been martyred, some people have been injured, and there are people whose home, residence, or workplace has been damaged. First, I deeply sympathize with the families of the exalted martyrs. This stems from a common experience I share with these noble people. In addition to my father, whose loss has become a matter of public sorrow; I’ve entrusted my dear, loyal wife, in whom I placed great hopes; my self-sacrificing sister who devoted herself to serving her parents and ultimately received her reward, along with her young child; and the husband of my other sister, who was a learned and noble man; to the caravan of martyrs. But that which makes patience in calamities not only possible but even easy is paying attention to God’s certain promise of an immense, precious reward for the patient. Therefore, we must be patient and place our hope and trust in the grace and support of Almighty God.

Second, I assure everyone that we won’t forgo avenging the blood of your martyrs. The revenge we have in mind is not just because of the martyrdom of the illustrious Leader of the Revolution. Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes a separate case that demands seeking revenge. A limited portion of this seeking revenge can already be seen. But until we completely take revenge, this file will remain on top of all the others. We’re even more sensitive with regard to the blood of our children and infants. The crime deliberately committed by the enemy against the Shajarah-Tayyibah School in Minab and other similar cases will receive particular attention in this process of taking revenge.

Third, the people wounded in these attacks must definitely receive appropriate medical services free of charge, and they must also receive certain other benefits.

Fourth, as far as present conditions allow, sufficient measures must be defined and implemented to compensate for the financial loss inflicted on private properties and personal assets. These last two matters are binding duties of the honorable officials, who must carry these out and report back to me.

A point I must highlight is that in any case, we will obtain compensation from the enemy. If they refuse, we will take it from their assets to the extent we deem appropriate. If that wasn’t possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of their assets.

The fifth part of my address is directed to the leaders and influential figures in certain regional countries. We share land or sea borders with 15 countries and have always wanted, and still want, warm, constructive relations with all of them. However, the enemy has been gradually establishing military and financial bases in some of these countries over the years to secure its dominance over the region. 

In the recent attacks [against Iran], a number of military bases were used. Naturally, as we had clearly warned in advance, we have only targeted those bases without committing any act of aggression against those [regional] countries. After this, we will have no choice but to continue this course of action even though we still believe in the necessity of maintaining our friendship with those neighbors. These [regional] countries must determine their position with regard to the aggressors who have attacked our beloved homeland and murdered our people. I advise them to shut down those [US] bases as soon as possible, for they must surely have realized by now that the US’s claims of ensuring security and peace have been nothing but lies.

This measure will enable those governments to strengthen their ties with their own people, who are generally dissatisfied with the humiliating behavior associated with those bases. It will also bring an increase in their wealth and power. I repeat that the Islamic Republic, without being in pursuit of domination or colonization in the region, is fully prepared for unity and fostering warm, sincere, reciprocal relations with all its neighbors.

In the sixth part, I address our Martyred Leader. O Leader! With your departure you have left a heavy grief upon all our hearts. You had always yearned for such a fate, until Almighty God eventually granted it to you while you were reciting the Holy Quran on the morning of the tenth day of the blessed month of Ramadan. You endured many injustices with dignity and patience, never showing the slightest sign of weakness. Many people never knew your real worth. Perhaps a long time will pass before the manifold veils and covers fall away, allowing various aspects [of your eminence] to come into view.

We hope with the nearness granted to you in the company of the radiant souls, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the Friends of God, you will continue to care for the progress of this nation and all nations of the Resistance Front, and you will intercede for them just as you did when you were in this world. We pledge to you that we will strive with all our being for the elevation of this flag, which is the principal banner of the Front of Truth, and for the realization of your sacred objectives.

In the seventh part of my statements, I sincerely appreciate all the honorable figures who have expressed their support for me, including the Religious Authorities; various cultural, political, and social figures; and the people who’ve participated in the magnificent gatherings to renew their allegiance to the [Islamic Republic] system. I would also like to thank the officials of the three branches of government [executive, judicial, and legislative] and the Temporary Leadership Council for their wise measures and actions.

I am hopeful that the special divine blessings in these blessed hours and days will encompass the entire Iranian nation, and indeed all Muslims and every oppressed person in the world.

At the end, I beseech our Master [Imam Mahdi] (aj) in these remaining nights and days of Laylat al-Qadr [Nights of Destiny] and the blessed month of Ramadan to ask Almighty God to grant our nation a decisive victory over its enemies; as well as honor, prosperity, and well-being for our people; and elevated degrees and eternal peace in the Hereafter for their departed loved ones.

 

May God’s peace, mercy, blessings, and greetings be upon you. 

Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei

Esfand 21, 1404 AHS
Ramadan 22, 1447 AHL
[March 12, 2026]