'Will avenge the blood of our leader, Trump will pay," Khamenei aide warns US President

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has warned that US President Donald Trump “must pay” for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, escalating tensions amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The warning comes after joint strikes by the United States and Israel on February 28 reportedly killed the 86-year-old leader and triggered a wider regional conflict.

In a message posted on social media, Larijani said Iran would “relentlessly avenge” the death of its leader and warned that Trump would face consequences. He also said Iran would not “leave Trump alone” and described the killing of Khamenei and hundreds of Iranians as an act that would not go unanswered.

Trump dismissed the threat in an interview, saying he did not know Larijani and had no interest in the remarks. He also reiterated that US military operations against Iran would continue and demanded an “unconditional surrender” from Tehran.

Larijani also warned countries in the region against allowing the United States to use their territory to launch attacks on Iran. He said that if such actions continued, Iran would respond directly to those bases. He also claimed that Iran had captured some American soldiers during the conflict.

The conflict intensified after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile attacks targeting Israel and American bases in the region. Reports suggest the war has already caused heavy casualties on multiple sides and significantly escalated tensions across the Middle East.