Mojtaba Khamenei Vows Revenge as Iran Sends Top Diplomat to Hormuz Talks
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11
Mojtaba Khamenei Vows Revenge as Iran Sends Top Diplomat to Hormuz Talks
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11
Summary
Abbas Araghchi arrived in Oman on Saturday for talks over the Strait of Hormuz, even as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public message since his father’s burial, vowing revenge.
The threat lands a day after U.S. officials said they expected Iran to publicly declare an end to attacks on commercial shipping in the waterway under last month’s cease-fire.
That truce remains fragile: Iranian forces have kept firing on ships using routes they reject, and the U.S. military has answered with strikes on Iranian military sites.
The standoff still clouds traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil and gas shipments, while Washington has also revoked a waiver allowing temporary Iranian oil sales.
How will a new leader's personal vow of revenge shape Iran's escalating conflict with the United States?
With a fragile ceasefire shattered, can mediators prevent all-out war in the world's most vital oil chokepoint?
The 2026 US-Israeli Strike on Iran: Khamenei’s Assassination, Regional War, and the Fragmentation of Iran’s Axis of Resistance
Overview
The regional crisis began with a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top officials. This triggered a rapid escalation, plunging the region into major conflict as Iran faced expanding attacks from the US and Israel. In response, Iran quickly named Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader, but his succession was controversial and challenged by internal and external pressures. The aftermath saw widespread violence, a fragmented network of Iranian allies, and ongoing diplomatic efforts, all rooted in the initial airstrike and its far-reaching consequences.