Iranian hardliners escalate threats against US and Trump

NEW YORK – Chants of “death to America” from Iranian hardliners have been heard for decades, but in recent days, officials and clerics close to the government have escalated the rhetoric with threats against President Donald Trump to avenge the killing of their country’s supreme leader.

The calls may reflect Iranians venting pent up anger after the week-long funeral ceremonies for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which were followed by a weekend of escalating US strikes on the country, one expert said.

Some mourners at the funeral events held red banners, a Muslim Shi’ite symbol of vengeance, declaring “we will kill Trump”.

The threats grew louder after a rare statement over the weekend from the leader’s son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei.

“We pledge that we will avenge your pure blood and the blood of all those martyred in these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,” he said.

“This revenge is the demand of our nation, and it must certainly be carried out.”

A minority of hardliners in Iran’s leadership has sought in recent days to thwart diplomacy to broker a lasting peace deal with the United States.

As internal tensions in government unfurled last week, Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard targeted several commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway vital to transporting energy supplies.

That set off new retaliatory air strikes by the United States as the escalating attacks imperiled a ceasefire reached almost a month ago.

Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of US-Israel war on Iran in late February and his son was injured in the attack.

“No one should be surprised, given where we are at, that there will be elements within the Iranian regime that do want the assassination of Trump as the ultimate revenge,” said Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“Is that the majority? I don’t think so. Is that a state policy? I’ve seen no evidence of that.”

She said allowing the hardliners to “let off some steam” in this way may ease pressure from them to derail the diplomatic efforts to reach a lasting US-Iran peace deal.

Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear in public at any of the funeral events fuelling questions not only about his health, but about whether he is really running Iran at this pivotal moment.

His call after the funeral was over to avenge his father’s death appears to have given a green light for others to follow with similar threats.

“We must take action against those who ordered, carried out, and assisted in the attempt on our beloved leader’s life, as well as those who targeted our fellow citizens,” Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on July 13, according to Iranian state-controlled media.

A senior cleric close to Iran’s government, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, issued a “call for revenge” against Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Trump declared the unstable ceasefire with Iran “over”, on July 8 at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, after Iran attacked commercial container ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States responded with heavy air strikes on Iran through the weekend.

Trump last week said he was Iran’s “number one target”. But Iranian officials have stopped short of specifically calling for Trump’s death.

“The enemy’s propaganda gestures will not deter us from pursuing justice against them,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, according to Iranian state media reports on July 13.

“We will not hesitate to defend ourselves. However, when and how we respond is a matter that will be determined by the armed forces.”

The anger of Iranian hardliners toward Trump has built over years. He reimposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran in 2019, which was followed in 2020 by the US assassination of a top Iranian military commander, General Qassem Soleimani.

The US-Israel war that began Feb 28 has further strangled Iran’s economy.

The public backlash also extended to some Iranians celebrating over the weekend the death of Senator Lindsey Graham who was a staunch supporter of Israel.

“Fortunately, in such matters it must be said that the Angel of Death is just,” Baghaei said on July 13, when asked about Graham, according to Iranian state-controlled media. NYTIMES

• This article originally appeared in The New York Times.