Iran’s new supreme leader vowed vengeance in his first statement, signaling defiance over diplomacy.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since succeeding his late father, gave no indication in his written statement that he would abandon the former ayatollah’s hardline policies and offered no specifics on an acceptable outcome for Tehran.
Iran “believes it hasn’t exacted enough of a price on the US… and even the global economy,” a Bloomberg analyst said. US intelligence suggests the Islamic Republic’s leadership is not at risk of imminent collapse, Reuters reported, and overseas dissidents aren’t confident strikes will topple the regime.
For his part, President Donald Trump said stopping Iran from having nuclear weapons is more important than oil prices, suggesting a protracted conflict.