Since the funeral of Iran’s slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior figures in the Islamic Republic have significantly escalated their rhetoric.ย ย ย
Politicians, state-controlled media outlets and the country’s new supreme leader have publicly called for retaliation to avenge Khamenei’s death.
On July 14, at the first in-person session of Iran’s parliament since the start of the war, lawmakers waved red flags bearing calls for revenge, according to images published by Iranian media. More than 180 of the parliament’s 290 members endorsed demands for retaliation.
Calls for revenge have not been limited to parliament.
Pro-government media outlets have also promoted them aggressively. On Saturday, the conservative daily Hamshahri published what it described as a wanted list under the headline, “Retaliation Is Inevitable.”
The list featured 13 Western politicians and military officials, including foreign and defense ministers, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM)ย and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Psychological warfare?
“These threats should not simply be dismissed as political rhetoric,” legal scholar and human rights researcher Moein Khazaeli told DW. “At the same time, it is important to distinguish between the capability, the intention and the actual possibility of carrying out such threats.”
Khazaeli said Iran’s government was pursuing several objectives with its rhetoric. A significant part of the threats can be viewedย as a form of psychological warfare and a strategy of deterrence, he said, adding thatย the regime is attempting to portray its weakened military and security apparatus as strong and operational.
The government is also signaling that it could resort to terrorist methods if international pressure continuesย โ a threat that, given the Islamic Republic’s history of overseas operations, cannot be dismissed outright, Khazaeliย said.
The newspaper Hamshahri, which is owned by the Tehran municipality, is considered close to the conservative camp. It is among those within the Iranian establishment that strongly oppose negotiations with the United States and maintain close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s most powerful military institution.
Demonstrating support for the regime
Iranian political activist Reza Alijani told DW that the mourning ceremonies for Ali Khamenei also served political purposes. Alijani said the leadership sought to instrumentalize the commemorations.
He said the events were intended to demonstrate support for the ruling establishment, divert attention from military setbacks and legitimize the continuation of the conflict under the banner of revenge.
The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reinforced that message immediately after his father’s funeral. Rather than emphasizing reconciliation or reconstruction after months of war, he focused on retaliation.
One day after the end of the weeklong mourning ceremonies, a statement issued in his name vowed to continue the path of the slain leader. “We swear to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars against the criminal and dishonorable murderers,” the statement said.
‘Important target audiences’
“One of the most important target audiences of these threats is the regime’s own supporters,” Khazaeli said.
“For years, the Islamic Republic has responded to military defeats or security setbacks with heightened threats. The goal is to create the impression that the regime remains determined and capable of exacting revenge,” he said. “For part of its support base,” he added, “this narrative remains credible and is reinforced by state propaganda.”
The messages are also directed toward an international audience. Khazaeli said the targets were not only Western governments but also opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad, including Iranian journalists, political activists, human rights defenders and exiled dissidents.
The impact of this rhetoric on public discourse was also evident in reactions to the recent death of Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham. Iranian state television and several pro-government Telegram channels commented on his death with expressions of satisfaction and, in some cases, congratulations.
Graham was among the US politicians who supported the policy of “maximum pressure” against the Islamic Republic in recent years and called for military strikes and bombing raids against Iran for years.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru