Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in his latest written message the Islamic republic did not want war with the United States and Israel, but would protect its rights as a nation, state television reported.
“We did not seek war and we do not want it,” he said in the message read out on state TV, weeks after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated on February 28, the first day of the war.
“But we will not renounce our legitimate rights under any circumstances, and in this respect, we consider the entire resistance front as a whole,” he added, in an apparent reference to Lebanon where Israel is fighting with Tehran’s ally Hezbollah.
He described the country’s resistance as a unified front and announced that strategic management of the Strait of Hormuz will enter a new phase.
Addressing the Iranian public, Khamenei urged citizens not to assume that public engagement is no longer necessary despite the ceasefire. He stressed that voices raised in public spaces could influence the outcome of ongoing negotiations.
He also advised the population to be wary of false promises and stated that Iran would seek compensation for any losses while continuing to pursue a peaceful policy without compromising its rights.
