Mojtaba Khamenei vows to deny enemies ‘security’ after Israel kills Iran’s intel chief, IRGC spokesman

A protester holds a portrait of Iran's newly nominated supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a march against Middle East's war, triggered by the joint US-Israeli strikes, alongside a rally against racism, fascism and state violence, in Paris on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Martin LELIEVRE / AFP)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a strong warning, vowing tougher action against perceived enemies amid the escalating conflict with the US and Israel. In a statement quoted by Iranian media, Khamenei linked the developments to broader security concerns and called for a decisive response.

“I express my condolences on the death of the martyr, Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib. Security must be denied to the enemies at home and abroad and provided to the entire nation,” Khamenei said, signalling a hardened stance in the aftermath of a series of high-profile assassinations.

While it is not clear when the statement was issued by Mojtaba, the Iranian media reported it following Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirming on Friday that US-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini.

Naini "was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn", the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website.

Esmail Khatib, Iran's intelligence minister, was killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, adding to the series of high-profile assassinations targeting Tehran’s top leadership during the ongoing war.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as Iran’s supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.

His absence has fuelled speculation, with American and Israeli officials suggesting he may have been injured in the conflict.

US President Donald Trump’s remarks earlier this week further amplified these doubts. “We don’t know... if he’s dead or not,” he said.

Despite being named Supreme Leader, Mojtaba has not addressed the nation directly. His only known message was delivered through state media, raising further questions about his condition and control.

However, reports now suggest that Mojtaba will address the nation on the holy occasion of Nowruz on march 21 for the first time since becoming the Supreme Leader.