The Leader of the Muslim Ummah’s First Written Statement

“Whatever sign We may nullify or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or similar to it.” [Holy Quran 02:106]

“Peace be upon you, O caller to Allah and interpreter of His signs. Peace be upon you, O gate of Allah and judge of His religion. Peace be upon you, O vicegerent of Allah and supporter of His truth. Peace be upon you, O proof of Allah and guide to His will. Peace be upon you, O awaited one. Peace be upon you, with the most comprehensive peace. Peace be upon you, O my Master, the Patron of the Age [Imam al-Mahdi] (A).”

At the outset of my words, I must offer my condolences to my Master – may Allah hasten his reappearance – on the occasion of the poignant martyrdom of the great leader of the Islamic Revolution, our beloved and wise Khamenei.

I request sincere prayers from Imam al-Mahdi (A) for each [and every] individual of the great Iranian nation – and indeed for all Muslims worldwide – and for all the servants of Islam and the Islamic Revolution, the steadfast, and the bereaved families of the martyrs of the Islamic movement, especially the recent war (the 2026 Ramadan War), and for this humble servant, myself.

My second address is to the great nation of Iran. First, I must briefly state my position regarding the vote of the esteemed Assembly of Experts. This servant of yours – Sayyid Mojtaba Husayni Khamenei – became aware of the result of the esteemed Assembly of Experts’ vote simultaneously with you, through the television of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

For me, to sit upon a seat that was once graced by two great leaders – Khomeini the Great and Khamenei the Martyr – is a difficult thing.

This chair bears the legacy of one who – after more than sixty years of striving on the path of Allah and renouncing all forms of comfort and pleasure – became a radiant gem and a distinguished figure, not only in our present era, but throughout the history of this [Iranian] nation’s rulers.

Both the life of Imam Khamenei and the manner of his death were infused with grandeur and honor born from his connection to the Truth.

I had the honor of seeing Shaheed Sayyid Ali Khamenei’s body after his martyrdom. What I witnessed was a mountain of steadfastness, and I heard that the fist of his healthy hand was clenched [as an expression of resistance].

Knowledgeable individuals must speak at length – and over time – regarding the various aspects of Imam Khamenei’s personality.

In this moment, I will suffice with a brief summary, deferring the details to other suitable occasions. This is the reason for the difficulty of occupying the seat of leadership after such a person [as Imam Khamenei]. Completing this gap is only possible with the assistance of the Almighty Allah and the support of you, the people.

Furthermore, I must emphasize a point that is directly related to the core of my message. That point is that among the arts of the martyred Leader (Imam Khamenei) and his great predecessor (Imam Khomeini) was the inclusion of the people in all arenas, the continuous enlightenment and awareness given to them – and in practice – relying on their strength.

In this way, Imam Khamenei actualized the true meaning of the populace and republicanism, and he believed in it with all his heart. The clear effect of this was seen in these past few days when the country was without a leader and without a supreme commander.

The insight and intelligence of the great Iranian nation in the recent incident, its perseverance, courage, and presence, elicited admiration from friends and astonishment from enemies.

It was you – the people – who led the country and guaranteed its authority. The verse I quoted at the beginning of this writing means that no sign of Allah’s signs is ever abrogated or forgotten unless We bring one better than it or similar to it.

The occasion for using this noble verse (Quran 02:106) is not that this servant is equal to the martyred Leader – let alone to be considered superior to him – rather, the purpose of mentioning the blessed verse is to draw attention to the appropriate and prominent role of you, the dear nation.

If that great blessing (Imam Khamenei) was taken from us – in its place – the presence of the Iranian nation, like Ammar [ibn Yasir], was granted to this system once more.

Know this: if your power is not manifested in the arena, neither the leadership nor any of the various institutions whose true function is to serve the people will have the necessary effectiveness.

For this meaning to be better realized – firstly – one must remember Allah the Almighty, rely on Him, and seek refuge in the pure lights of the Infallibles (A) – as the greatest elixir and the most precious match – which guarantees all kinds of openings and certain victory over the enemy. This is a great advantage that you possess and your enemies lack.

Secondly, the unity among the individuals and strata of the nation – which usually becomes particularly evident in times of hardship – must not be damaged. This can be achieved by setting aside points of disagreement.

Thirdly, effective presence in the arena must be maintained; both in the form you have shown in these days and nights of war, and in the form of various effective roles in different social, political, educational, cultural, and even security spheres.

The important thing is that the correct role – without damaging social unity – is well understood and implemented as much as possible. One of the duties of the leadership and some other officials is to remind individuals or segments of society of some of these roles.

Therefore, I remind you of the importance of participating in the al- Quds Day ceremony of 1447 AH / 2026 AD, where the element of defeating the enemy must be considered by all.

Fourthly, do not refrain from helping and assisting one another. Praise be to Allah, this has always been a characteristic of most Iranians, and it is expected that in these special days – which are naturally more difficult for some members of the nation than others – this matter will be even more prominent.

In this regard, I ask service organizations to not spare any help or assistance to those dear members of the nation and to the popular relief structures.

If these aspects are observed – the path for you, the dear nation – to reach days of greatness and glory will be smoothed. The closest manifestation of this – Insha Allah – can be the victory over the enemy in the current war.

My third address is a sincere thank you to our brave combatants who – under conditions where our beloved nation and homeland are unjustly attacked by the heads of the Arrogance Front – have blocked the enemy’s path with their crushing blows and have dispelled their illusions of potentially dominating our dear homeland and possibly [even] partitioning it.

Dear combatant brothers! The will of the masses of the people is for continued effective and deterrent defense. Similarly, the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used.

Studies have been conducted regarding the opening of other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be extremely vulnerable, and their activation will be considered if the war situation continues and is based on the national interest.

I also offer my sincere thanks to the combatants of the Resistance Rront.

We consider the countries of The Resistance Front to be our best friends, and the matter of resistance and The Resistance Front is an inseparable part of the Islamic Revolution’s values.

Undoubtedly, the collaboration of the components of The Resistance Front with each other shortens the path to attain salvation from the Zionist sedition; just as we saw the brave and faithful Yemenis did not cease defending the oppressed people of Gaza, and the devoted Hezbollah, despite all obstacles, has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic, and the Iraqi resistance has valiantly adopted the same path.

In my fourth address, I speak to those who – in some way – have been harmed in these past few days. Whether they have experienced the martyrdom of a loved one or loved ones, or have been injured, or their homes or places of business have been damaged.

In this part, firstly, I express my deep sympathy to the bereaved families of the exalted martyrs. This is based on a shared experience that I have with these noble individuals.

Besides my father (Imam Khamenei) – whose loss has become a public grief – I have entrusted my beloved and faithful wife – in whom I had placed my hopes –  and my devoted sister – who dedicated herself to serving her parents and ultimately received her reward, along with her young children – and the husband of my other sister –  who was a learned and honorable person – to the caravan of martyrs.

However, what makes patience in the face of calamities possible – and even easy – is attention to Allah’s certain and definite promise of a great reward for the patient. Therefore, we must be patient and place our hope and trust in the grace and assistance of Allah the Exalted.

Secondly, I assure everyone that we will not overlook avenging the blood of your martyrs.

The vengeance we have in mind is not only for the martyrdom of the great Leader of the Islamic Revolution; rather, every single member of the nation martyred by the enemy is a separate subject for the case of our vengeance.

Of course, [only] a limited amount of this vengeance has materialized so far, but until its full extent is achieved, this case will remain on top of other files, and we will have greater sensitivity, especially concerning the blood of our children.

Therefore, the crime deliberately committed by the enemy at the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab and similar incidents holds a special significance in this regard [of vengeance].

Thirdly, the veterans of these attacks must certainly receive appropriate medical services free of charge and benefit from certain other privileges.

Fourthly – to the extent that the current situation allows – sufficient measures must be defined and implemented to compensate for the financial damages incurred to personal properties and residences. The latter two points are considered mandatory duties for the respected officials, who must implement them and report to me.

One point I must emphasize is that in any case – we will collect reparations from the enemy – and if they refuse – we will seize as much of their assets as we deem appropriate – and if that is not possible – we will destroy an equal amount of their assets.

My fifth address is to the leaders and influential figures in some of the region’s countries.

We share land or sea borders with 15 countries – and have always been and remain willing to have – warm and constructive relations with all of them.

However, the enemy – has over the years – gradually established both military and financial bases in some of these countries to ensure their dominance over the region.

In the recent attack [on the Islamic Republic], some military bases were used, and naturally – as we had explicitly warned and without any aggression against those countries – we have only targeted those specific bases [of the enemy].

From now on, we will inevitably continue this course of action, although we still believe in the necessity of friendship between ourselves and our neighbors.

These countries must clarify their position with the aggressors (America/israel) against our beloved homeland and the murderers of our people.

I advise them to close the enemy’s bases as soon as possible, because they have must have surely understood by now that America’s claim of establishing security and peace is nothing but a lie.

This will enable them to forge a stronger bond with their own people – who are generally dissatisfied with their alignment with The Front of Kufr and its contemptuous behavior – and to increase their wealth and power.

I repeat: the Islamic Republic – without intending to establish dominance or colonialism in the region – is fully prepared for unity and warm, sincere, and reciprocal relations with all its neighbors.

In my sixth address, I speak to our martyred Leader [Imam Sayyid Ali Khameni].

Leader! With your departure, you have inflicted a heavy wound upon all hearts.

You always longed for this end [of martyrdom] – and finally – the Almighty Allah granted it to you while you were reciting the holy Quran on the morning of the 10th of Ramadan al-Mubarak.

Powerfully and with forbearance, you endured many oppressions without a frown.

Many did not recognize your true worth, and perhaps much time will pass before various veils and obstacles are removed and aspects of your true worth become clear.

We hope that – through the exalted status you have attained in the presence of the pure ones, the truthful, the martyrs, and the Awliya – you will continue to think of the progress of this nation and all the nations of The Resistance Front, and intercede for it, just as you did during your worldly life.

We pledge to you that we will strive with all our being for the elevation of this banner, which is the true banner of Haqq, and for the realization of your sacred objectives.

In my seventh address, I express my gratitude to all the distinguished individuals who have supported me, including the Grand Ayatollahs, various cultural, political, and social figures, and the general public who have gathered in magnificent rallies to reaffirm their allegiance to the system.

I also thank the officials of the three branches of government and the interim leadership council for their wise measures and actions.

I hope that special divine favors will encompass the entire Iranian nation – and indeed all Muslims and the oppressed of the world – during these auspicious hours and days.

And finally, I request our Master [Imam al-Mahdi (A)] – may Allah hasten his reappearance – during the remaining nights and days of Qadr and the month of Ramadan, to ask the Almighty Allah to grant our nation decisive victory over the enemy, and also honor, prosperity, and well-being, and eternal status and well-being for their departed.

And may the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah be upon you.

Sayyid Mojtaba Husayni Khamenei

March 12,2026