Iran's New Leader Pledges Resistance Support, Rebuilding

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued statements on Wednesday pledging continued support for regional resistance groups and calling for a nationwide rebuilding effort, as the U.S.-led conflict with Iran entered its second month since beginning on February 28.

The war erupted when U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint strikes on Iranian targets, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the previous supreme leader and father of Mojtaba. Iran retaliated with attacks on American and Israeli assets across the Middle East, drawing in broader Gulf involvement. Mojtaba Khamenei, named to the top position in mid-March, has not made any public appearances since then. His messages, including the latest ones, have been delivered through state television anchors or written releases by outlets such as Press TV and Tasnim News.

In a letter to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem read on state television, Khamenei affirmed Iran's policy of backing resistance against what he called the Zionist-American enemy. "I firmly declare that the consistent policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in continuing the path of the late Imam and martyred leader, is based on continuing to support the resistance," he...