Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has vowed to exact revenge on the United States and Israel for his father's assassination. In a statement broadcast on state television, he declared: 'Revenge is the demand of the nation and must certainly be carried out,' adding that 'vengeance is inevitable.'

Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on February 28 at the onset of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Mojtaba has not been seen in public since the attack; the US claims he sustained severe injuries in the strike.

US President Donald Trump once again threatened to bomb Iran, accusing the country of plotting to assassinate him. On his Truth Social platform, he wrote: '1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran.' He warned that if an assassination attempt occurs, the US military is ready to 'completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran' for a one-year period.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat, Oman, to discuss arrangements for safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has been largely closed by Iran since February.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin is working with Paris on a new Franco-German policy initiative on Lebanon, aiming to increase the chance of peace in the Middle East. He also called for an end to 'confusion over competencies' within EU foreign policy decisions.

Anonymous senior US officials revealed that Washington is demanding Iran issue a public statement pledging to stop attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. One official stated: 'What we're demanding is that the Iranians issue a public statement that acknowledges all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open and they're not shooting at ships anymore.'

Source: www.dw.com