- Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed revenge for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani
- He warned that 'every drop of blood has a price' that the US and Israel must pay
- The killing of Ali Larijani has pushed the Islamic Republic into a more uncertain phase
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed revenge for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani in a US-Israeli strike on Tuesday. Assuring that justice will be served, he warned that 'every drop of blood has a price' that the US and Israel must pay.
"Such acts of terror only reflect the enemies' hostility and will strengthen the resolve of the Islamic nation. Undoubtedly, justice will be served," he said in a statement.
In his statement, Mojtaba claimed that Larijani was a "learned, far-sighted, intelligent" individual with diverse experiences in many fields. He said that the assassination of such an individual showed how important he was and the "hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him".
He threatened "anti-Islamists" and said, "Shedding this blood at the foot of the tree of the Islamic system only makes it stronger, and of course, every blood has a price that the criminal murderers of the martyrs must pay soon."
Concluding his statement, he offered his condolences to Larijani's wife, children, brother and other relatives.
The killing of Iran's most influential powerbroker, Ali Larijani, has pushed the Islamic Republic into a more uncertain phase, complicating decision-making in Tehran and narrowing its options as the war grinds on.
The US-Israeli war on Iran began with the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alongside a group of military commanders and shows no sign of abating, with several more senior officials now targeted by air strikes.
Larijani was widely thought to have been opposed to the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader, on the grounds that hereditary rule is inconsistent with the principles of the Islamic Republic.
Larijani was close to the elder Khamenei, who appointed him to head Iran's state TV and radio and serve as his representative on a political council that resolves legislative disputes.
After Iran's nuclear programme became a major concern in the West, Larijani took on the top national security post in 2005, making him the country's lead nuclear negotiator.
Iran has vowed to avenge Larijani's assassination. Its army chief, Amir Hatami, said that Tehran's response to the high-profile killing will be both "decisive and regrettable".
