Vengeful Ayatollah demands 'blood money' compensation for Iran's 'martyrs' - but STILL hasn't been seen in public

Vengeful Ayatollah demands 'blood money' compensation for Iran's 'martyrs' - but STILL hasn't been seen in public

WATCH: Tom Harwood and Dawn Neesom make fun of new Ayatollah's lack of public appearance

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GB NEWS

Peter Stevens

By Peter Stevens


Published: 10/04/2026

- 00:37

Mojtaba Khamenei, said to be comatose, called for Israel and the US to pay for 'every single damage inflicted' in a written statement

Iran's Ayatollah has demanded "blood money" from Israel and the US in compensation for the deaths of his county's "martyrs" in a newly released statement.

The written statement, read out on Iranian state TV, was attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei - who has not been seen in public after taking over from his father.


He said: "By the grace of God, we will certainly not let go of the criminal aggressors who attacked our country.

"We will undoubtedly demand compensation for every single damage inflicted, the blood money of the martyrs, and the diyah of the war-wounded."

He also said he would bring the management of the Strait of Hormuz into a new phase.

"Iran is not seeking war but will not forfeit its rights and considers all resistance fronts as a unified entity," the Ayatollah added.

When the ceasefire was announced, Donald Trump said Iran had agreed to a "complete, immediate, and safe opening" of the strait.

But in the following 24 hours, just a single oil tanker and five dry bulk carriers sailed through the key waterway, which accommodated 140 ships a day prior to the war.

Iran\u2019s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since taking power, said his country was not seeking 'war'

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REUTERS

On Thursday, the President took to social media to say Iran was doing a "very poor job - dishonourable some would say" of allowing oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has started demanding crypto payments for the hundreds of ships looking to pass through.

During the two-week ceasefire, Hamid Hosseini, Iran's oil exporters' union spokesman, declared that a $1 per barrel fee would be levied on the ships.

Responding to those reports, the President said: "They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!"

A spokesman for the International Maritime Organization warned any such toll "will set a dangerous precedent".

Iran victory march for memorial of Ayatollah

PICTURED: Iran's 'victory' march, held in memory of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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GETTY

Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father Ali in early March - and the dead Supreme Leader had a massive parade in his honour held in the streets of Tehran on Thursday.

Thousands commemorated his death, with some in attendance describing it as a "victory" parade.

Nastaran Safaie, 24, said: "The leader is alive, he always prays for us and he is watching all of us now, and victory is definitely ours."

Both Iran and the US have claimed victory when the ceasefire was put in place, with Mr Trump saying the agreement was a "total and complete victory" and Tehran claiming the ceasefire was a "humiliating retreat" after its "victory in the field".

Mourners hold pictures of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son, new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei

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GETTY

One woman participating in the march named Esmaeili said she had little hope for negotiations between the US and Iran - expected to come on Friday or Saturday - to be fruitful, and accused Americans of acting in bad faith.

She said: "What they say about the ceasefire and its violation is a repetition of history.

"It should be a lesson for the honourable people of Iran not to be fooled by the empty promises of hypocritical countries."

Mahdi Mohaddes, 41, said he hoped the talks between the US and Iran would not happen altogether.

"If I were in the shoes of the officials, I would reconsider and not participate in these negotiations," he said.