Iran's supreme leader vows revenge, names Meloni among alleged culprits

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has sworn vengeance for the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, naming Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as one of the alleged perpetrators. The vow, described as a "desire of our nation that must certainly be fulfilled," was published by the Iranian newspaper Hamshari.

Meloni has received widespread support from Italian political figures following the threats. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Meloni would "certainly not be intimidated." Senate President Ignazio La Russa emphasized unity in defending freedom and democracy, expressing full solidarity with Meloni. League secretary Matteo Salvini declared that an attack on the Prime Minister is an attack on all Italians, condemning the threats from Iran and asserting that Italy will not be intimidated.

The Hamshari list of alleged culprits, all depicted in orange prison uniforms, includes prominent international figures. Alongside Meloni, Trump, and Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were also named. Former US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning, stating on his social media platform Truth that "a thousand missiles are ready to launch" at Iran if he is killed, adding that the military is prepared to "decimate and completely destroy all areas of Iran."

The report also noted that while US figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth were included, Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were absent. This absence is significant as Tehran has been negotiating with them on a memorandum of understanding and a final agreement. However, these talks appear to have stalled since Iran attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz last Sunday, prompting mediators to work towards resuming dialogue.