Iran’s New Supreme Leader Calls On US And Israel To Pay “Blood Money”

Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader has issued a statement calling on the United States and Israel to pay what he described as “blood money” for damages caused to the country.

In remarks aired on Iranian state television, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei addressed the nation with a firm warning: “By the grace of God, we will certainly not let go of the criminal aggressors who attacked our country.”

He continued: “We will undoubtedly demand compensation for every single damage inflicted, the blood money of the martyrs, and the diyah of the war-wounded.”

Khamenei further stated that “Iran is not seeking war but will not forfeit its rights and considers all resistance fronts as a unified entity,’ while also extending an olive branch to neighbouring countries, saying: ‘We are still awaiting an appropriate reaction from our southern neighbours so that we can show you our brotherhood.”

The supreme leader, who has largely stayed out of the public eye since succeeding his father, also issued a warning that Iran would ‘take the management of the Strait of Hormuz into a new phase’ — a signal of escalating tensions over control of the strategically critical waterway.

He urged pro-Iranian demonstrators to mobilise, stressing that ‘your voices raised in public squares have an impact on the outcome of negotiations.’

Khamenei reiterated that Iran had never pursued conflict and would not do so, but made clear the country would ‘not back off from seeking our legitimate rights in any way’ — a stance he said extends to ‘the entire resistance front,‘ a reference to Iran’s regional allies and proxy forces.

The statement follows an admission by NATO‘s chief that certain alliance members were ‘a bit slow’ in backing US military action against Iran, as the bloc faces mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Addressing reporters in Washington, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commended Trump for his ‘bold leadership and vision’ and acknowledged the President’s frustrations with the transatlantic alliance.

Prior to this, Trump was reported to have delivered an ultimatum to NATO members: deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, or risk the permanent withdrawal of American backing.