Iran newspaper publishes list of foreign leaders as Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge; Trump, Meloni among targets
PTC News Desk: In the wake of slain Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojataba Khamenei's vow to avenge his father's killing, a conservative Iranian newspaper has published an infographic naming several foreign leaders, thrusting the rhetoric of retaliation into the international spotlight.
The publication came after Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public message since his father’s funeral, declaring that retaliation was inevitable following the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah’s death in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the first day of the West Asia war.
In his message on Saturday, Mojtaba Khamenei said: “Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out.”
He added: “These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”
However the Supreme Leader's message referred to a list of individuals on the target list without specifically identifying them. An Iranian newspaper linked to Tehran authorities published an online infographic late on Saturday featuring photos of 13 foreign leaders alongside a statement by Mojtaba Khamenei.
The infographic included US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It also featured US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among other leaders.
During the recent conflict, Iran accused several European countries of failing to condemn attacks on its territory. It also alleged that some nations were complicit by allowing US military aircraft to use their airspace.
According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since before the war and was reportedly injured in the strikes that killed his father.
- With inputs from agencies
