Iranian media have published a ‘hit list’ of western politicians they want to take-out after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the late supreme leader of Iran
A horrific hit list targeting world leaders has been published in an Iranian state-run newspaper, demanding “vengeance” against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump.
The “rogues’ gallery” appeared in Hamshahri, a newspaper in Tehran, alongside heavily edited mugshots depicting a host of world leaders in orange prison jumpsuits. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared with targets on their forehead, apparently in retaliation for the death of former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.
14 statesmen and women made the list in total, which also included Sir Keir Starmer, Marco Rubio, Giorgia Meloni and Pete Hegseth. The list of “criminals” was published alongside remarks from Ali Khamenei’s successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei.
Mojtaba Khamenei has stated: “Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out. These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”
This statement was the first public comment by the new supreme leader since his father’s six-day funeral last week, in which tens of thousands of mourners swarmed the streets of Tehran. There is growing speculation that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the US airstrike which killed his father.
Other leaders marked for death in the list include French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Mertz. The publication comes after Trump claimed Iran wanted him dead.
He told reporters at a NATO summit: “They want to take out the US leader – me.” CNN reported last week that Israel had discovered credible evidence of an Iranian plot to kill Trump. This comes just months after a Pakistani man was convicted over a different Iranian plot against the US president.
The US launched strikes overnight against Iran after cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping channel, were allegedly attacked. Iran called the action “a gross violation of the UN Charter” and “a severe threat to international peace”.
Trump has since also pledged a fresh blockade of the Strait as the US’ war drags towards its fifth month. Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, has promised retaliation.
He said: “If you strike, you’ll get hit.” A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry called revenge for the Ayatollah’s death “a serious principle and a public demand”.
The development comes as Trump has vowed to “reinstating” a blockade on Iran threatening to hit the country with renewed strikes stating he will “hit them very hard”.
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