Since the funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior figures in the Islamic Republic have significantly escalated their rhetoric. Politicians, state-controlled media outlets, and the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, have publicly called for retaliation to avenge Khamenei's death.

On July 14, during the first in-person session of Iran's parliament since the start of the war, lawmakers waved red flags bearing calls for revenge. More than 180 of the parliament's 290 members endorsed demands for retaliation, according to images published by Iranian media.

Pro-government media have aggressively promoted these calls. On Saturday, the conservative daily Hamshahri published a wanted list under the headline "Retaliation Is Inevitable," featuring 13 Western politicians and military officials, including foreign and defense ministers, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Observers note that a significant part of these threats functions as psychological warfare and a deterrence strategy. The regime appears to be attempting to portray its weakened military and security apparatus as strong and operational. The government is also signaling it could resort to terrorist methods if international pressure continues—a threat that, given the Islamic Republic's history of overseas operations, cannot be dismissed outright, according to analyst Khazaeli.

Experts caution that it is important to distinguish between the regime's capability, intention, and the actual possibility of carrying out such threats. Nonetheless, these threats should not simply be dismissed as political rhetoric, as one of the most important target audiences is the regime's own supporters.

Mojtaba Khamenei reinforced the message immediately after his father's funeral, declaring, "We swear to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars against the criminal and dishonorable murderers."

Sources