Iran's new supreme leader vows revenge, newspaper blacklists Meloni, Trump and Netanyahu

Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, has publicly sworn to avenge the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a national imperative. The statement came on 11 July 2026, the day after six days of funeral ceremonies concluded across Iran and Iraq. "La vendetta è il volere della nostra Nazione," Khamenei said in his first message since the end of the rites, insisting that revenge "must absolutely take place." He spoke of avenging the "pure blood" of his father and "all the martyrs of these two wars."

Revenge is the will of our nation and must certainly be accomplished.

The blacklist published by Hamshahri

Hours after Khamenei's address, the Tehran municipal newspaper Hamshahri published a "blacklist" of 13 individuals it deems responsible for the killing of the former ayatollah. The graphic, created with artificial intelligence, shows the figures in orange prison uniforms. At the top, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu appear with crosshairs drawn on their foreheads, alongside the caption "La vendetta è certa" (Revenge is certain).

The list also includes Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

Revenge is certain.

Italian political solidarity for Meloni

The publication triggered immediate condemnation across Italy's political spectrum. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Meloni "certainly will not be intimidated." Senate President Ignazio La Russa called it "intimidation, incitement to violence, propaganda of hatred that must be condemned" and said Italy must remain united. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini wrote that "whoever attacks Giorgia Meloni attacks all of us" and insisted "Italy will not be intimidated." Chamber of Deputies President Lorenzo Fontana also expressed solidarity, describing the graphic as a "grave and disturbing representation." Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli stressed that striking the Italian premier "means striking the institutions of the Republic and the entire nation." No official comment came from Palazzo Chigi.

She certainly will not be intimidated.

Trump's missile threat and diplomatic efforts

On his Truth Social platform, President Trump responded with an escalatory warning. "Mille missili sono pronti al lancio e puntati contro la Repubblica Islamica dell'Iran se sarò ucciso," he wrote, adding that "orders have already been given and the army is ready to decimate and destroy completely all areas of Iran." The US president has repeatedly claimed to be Tehran's number one target.

A thousand missiles are ready for launch and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran if I am killed.

Talks on the Strait of Hormuz

Behind the public threats, diplomatic channels remain active. A US official told CBS that Iran admitted hitting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz last Sunday was a mistake. "They came back to the negotiating table and said: we were wrong, we made a mistake, let's keep talking," the official said. Mediators from Qatar have shuttled between Tehran and Muscat for talks between Iran and Oman on the Strait, which has been nearly blocked by reciprocal attacks in recent days. The US has explicitly asked Tehran to publicly announce that the Strait is open and that it will no longer fire on vessels. Negotiations in Muscat are focused on a declaration regarding full opening of the central lane in international waters. Notably absent from the Hamshahri blacklist are Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with whom Tehran negotiated the Memorandum of Understanding and is working toward a final agreement.