Khamenei’s first public statement after his appointment as supreme leader on March 9, 2026:

“I had the opportunity to visit [the former Supreme Leader’s] body after his martyrdom. What I saw was a mountain of strength, and I heard that his healthy hand was clenched in a fist.”Haley Ott, “New Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says Strait of Hormuz must remain shut in first message: State TV,” CBS News, March 12, 2026, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-war-new-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-first-statement-strait-of-hormuz/.