According to a report by CNN on Thursday, March 12, 2026, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a written statement vowing retaliation for those killed in the recent conflict, declaring that the country “will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs.”
The message was broadcast on Iranian state television and read by a female presenter. It emphasized that the strategic closure of the Strait of Hormuz must be maintained as a tool of leverage, while also warning that Iran could open “other fronts if necessary” to respond to perceived threats.
In the statement, Khamenei stressed Iran’s intent to maintain amicable relations with neighboring countries, asserting that military action would be directed solely at foreign bases from which attacks against Iran are launched. “We seek friendly relations with the countries around us, but bases used to strike Iran will be targeted,” the message said.