Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has warned that Tehran will avenge the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, accusing US President Donald Trump of being responsible for his killing as the Middle East conflict intensifies.
Speaking to Iranian state television on Saturday, Larijani vowed that Iran would make Trump “pay the price” for the strike that killed Khamenei on February 28. He said Iran would not stop until it had retaliated, claiming Trump had misjudged Tehran’s response and that the conflict would not end quickly.
Larijani also accused Trump of believing Iran would collapse quickly after the attack. “We will not leave him alone. He must pay the price for what he did,” he said, adding that more than 1,000 Iranians had been killed in the war.
In a message posted on X, Larijani repeated the warning, saying Iran would continue its efforts until it had “reciprocated” the attack.
Trump’s response
Trump quickly dismissed the threat, saying he did not even know who Larijani was. In an interview with CBS News, he said, “I have no idea what he’s talking about, who he is. I couldn’t care less,” adding that the Iranian official had already been defeated.
Trump also insisted that US military operations would continue and repeated his demand that Iran accept an “unconditional surrender.”
Iran’s mixed messaging
Earlier the same day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring Gulf countries for retaliatory strikes carried out after the war began. However, he later clarified that Iran had not targeted its neighbours directly.
In a follow-up social media post, Pezeshkian said Iranian forces had instead targeted US military bases and installations in the region rather than friendly or neighbouring states.
