A conservative Iranian newspaper known for its hardline and provocative stance has published an online graphic naming several world leaders as alleged revenge targets following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei was killed on February 28, the opening day of the Middle East war, during joint US-Israeli strikes. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since pledged retaliation.
“Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out,” Mojtaba said on Saturday in his first public message since his father’s funeral earlier this week.
“These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”
Later on Saturday, the Hamshahri newspaper, which is owned by authorities in the Iranian capital, published an infographic on its website featuring photographs of 13 foreign leaders alongside Mojtaba’s statement.
Although the new supreme leader said Iran had drawn up a list of individuals to be targeted, he did not identify anyone by name, and there is no indication that the newspaper’s publication was officially approved by the Iranian government.
Among those featured in the infographic are US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The graphic was posted online but did not appear in the newspaper’s Sunday print edition.
Also included are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Throughout the conflict, Iran accused several European governments of failing to denounce attacks on its territory and alleged they were complicit by permitting US military aircraft to use their airspace.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since before the conflict and was reportedly injured in the strikes that killed his father.
