KHAMENEI’S FIRST MESSAGE: IRAN’S NEW LEADER SENDS WARNING TO US AND ISRAEL
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–AYATOLLAH Mojtaba Khamenei’s first message as Iran’s supreme leader has sent shockwaves, but left many wondering what’s next ?
Key Issues:
– _”A new era is beginning, and its leader is positioning himself as the rightful heir to those who came before him.”_ – Analysis
– No Video or Audio: Khamenei chose to release a written message, read out on state TV, rather than appear publicly.
– _”The message was clear: a new era was beginning, and its leader was positioning himself as the rightful heir to those who came before him.”_ – Report
– Tough Stance on US and Israel: Khamenei vowed to continue targeting US interests and closing the Strait of Hormuz to global trade.
– _”Threats and bravado: Khamenei used the message to outline his policies, which sound very familiar to his father’s.”_ – Expert Analysis
– Reparations Demanded: Iran is seeking compensation from those who attacked the country.
– _”Your departure has left a deep wound in hearts… Many people did not recognize your true value.”_ – Khamenei, referring to his father
Khamenei offered no off-ramp for an immediate cessation of violence nor did he elaborate on what would an acceptable outcome for Tehran would look like, instead promising that “revenge” for those killed is a “file that will remain open.”
The message from Khamenei includes no promise of reform and no indication that he intends to “abandon any of his father’s core policies,” Iran analyst Arash Azizi told CNN, adding that it gives “very little hope to Iranians for a better future.”
“It is instead full of threats and bravado, including the hackneyed threat of the attempt to destroy Israel and forcing the US bases out of the region. In short, it offers Iranians and Iran’s neighbors in the region nothing short of eternal strife,” Azizi added.
But the central question remains unanswered: the Iranian public and the wider world have still not seen or heard from the new leader, who was reportedly wounded in the opening days of the war.
While the statement may satisfy his base, it does little to answer who is truly calling the shots.
The idea is to project defiance, Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead for Bloomberg Economics based in Geneva told CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“Clearly Iran showing that it isn’t seeking a ceasefire or an end to a war and that it believes it hasn’t exacted enough of a price on the US and its allies and even the global economy,” She added. “To me, it looks like things are going to continue.”
SOURCE ==CNN==EXCEPT THE HEADLINE AND INTRO PLUS A FEW PARAGRAPHS
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