Khamenei says “criminal killers will soon pay” after Larijani killing

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has said that “every drop of blood has a price that the criminal killers will soon pay” in a message of condolence following the death of senior security official Ali Larijani.

In a statement published on Wednesday on the X platform after the funeral, Khamenei wrote:

“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: “Do not think of those who are killed in the way of God as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.” (Verse 169 of Surah Al E-Imran in the Holy Quran.)

He continued, “With deep sorrow, I received the painful news of the martyrdom of Dr Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and the Leader’s representative in that council, along with his dutiful son and some of his colleagues.”

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Khamenei added, “He was a knowledgeable, far-sighted, intelligent and committed figure, with wide-ranging experience across political, military, security, cultural and administrative fields. Nearly five decades of service at various levels of the Islamic system made him a distinguished figure.”

In a separate message published on his official Telegram channel on the day of Larijani’s funeral in Tehran, the supreme leader said:

“Without a doubt, the assassination of such a figure attests to his importance and to the hatred that the enemies of Islam harbour toward him,”

He added, “Every drop of spilled blood comes at a price, and the criminal murderers of these martyrs will soon have to pay it.”

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