Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public statement since formally assuming the country’s highest authority, vowing retaliation after the death of his father and several relatives during the escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The message, released through Iranian state media, combined personal mourning with warnings of future retaliation against what Tehran describes as hostile powers. In the statement, Khamenei reflected on the losses within his family, writing:

«Apart from my father, whose loss has become a public matter, I have lost my dear and loyal wife, my devoted sister who dedicated herself to serving our parents and ultimately received her due reward, her young child and the wife of another sister, all of whom have joined the caravan of martyrs.»

«We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs.»

-Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei

The statement marked the first time Mojtaba Khamenei publicly addressed the nation since being elevated to the position of Supreme Leader following the death of his father during the intensifying conflict. Iranian officials have described the strikes that killed members of the Khamenei family as part of a broader military campaign by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian leadership and strategic infrastructure.

The message carried on state television framed the deaths as acts of sacrifice and national resistance, language commonly used in official Iranian rhetoric during wartime. It also signaled that the new leader intends to continue the hard-line policies that have defined Iran’s response to the conflict.

Khamenei’s statement included direct warnings about retaliation against the countries involved in attacks on Iranian territory. He declared that Iran would not allow those responsible to escape consequences, saying the country’s armed forces would pursue revenge for those killed in the strikes. In one passage of the statement, he wrote:

«We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs.» The message framed the conflict not only as a geopolitical struggle but also as a moral and religious obligation to respond to the deaths of civilians and members of Iran’s leadership.

The statement also addressed broader strategic measures Iran could use to respond to the war, including economic and military pressure on Western allies. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that Tehran could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. In the statement attributed to the new Supreme Leader, Khamenei emphasized the importance of using every available strategic tool against countries supporting military actions against Iran.

«Certainly the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used,» the message said, signaling that Tehran may attempt to pressure global energy markets if the conflict continues.

Beyond immediate retaliation, Khamenei also suggested that Iran could expand the conflict geographically if hostilities persist. The message referenced the possibility of opening additional fronts against what the Iranian leadership describes as hostile forces supporting the strikes.

According to the statement, Iranian strategists have already considered new theaters where adversaries could be vulnerable. «Studies have been made about opening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be severely vulnerable,» the message said, a remark that analysts interpreted as a warning that the war could spread beyond current battle zones.

«Apart from my father, whose loss has become a public matter, I have lost my dear and loyal wife, my devoted sister who dedicated herself to serving our parents and ultimately received her due reward, her young child and the wife of another sister, all of whom have joined the caravan of martyrs.»

-Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei

The speech also included calls for national unity inside Iran during a period of war and uncertainty. Khamenei urged political factions and the broader population to remain united in the face of foreign attacks and pressure from outside powers.

«There must be no harm to the unity of the nation among the individuals and groups of the nation,» the statement said. The message combined grief, religious symbolism and military threats, outlining a strategy that appears to blend retaliation with broader geopolitical pressure as Iran’s new leader begins his tenure amid one of the most dangerous crises the country has faced in decades.

The FBI has joined the search for retired U.S. Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland, a former senior military scientist who has been missing for nearly two weeks in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Local authorities confirmed that federal agents are assisting the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation expands. McCasland, 68, was last seen on Feb. 27 near his home on Quail Run Court NE. A Silver Alert was issued because of concerns for his safety, and officials say he left the residence without his phone or watch, an unusual circumstance that has heightened concern among investigators and family members as the search continues.

Authorities say the search operation has broadened as days have passed without confirmed sightings of the retired general. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has worked with multiple agencies, including the FBI, New Mexico State Search and Rescue teams and local police departments, to canvass the surrounding area. Investigators have contacted hundreds of residents and requested security camera footage in an effort to trace McCasland’s movements before he disappeared. According to officials involved in the investigation, more than 600 homeowners in the neighborhood have been asked to review surveillance recordings that could reveal where the former general went after leaving his home.

«Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership».

-William Neil McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson

McCasland had a long career in the U.S. Air Force that placed him at the center of some of the military’s most advanced scientific research programs. During his 34-year service, he rose to lead the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, one of the Pentagon’s most important centers for aerospace technology and experimental defense systems. In that position he oversaw billions of dollars in research projects and supervised some of the military’s most sensitive technological programs. Wright-Patterson has long been associated in public lore with historic UFO investigations, including work connected to Project Blue Book and speculation surrounding the 1947 Roswell incident.

After retiring from the Air Force in 2013, McCasland’s name later surfaced in discussions connected to the modern UFO research community. He briefly became associated with Tom DeLonge, the Blink-182 guitarist and singer who founded the organization To The Stars Academy to study unidentified aerial phenomena.

According to McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, the retired general worked with DeLonge only briefly and in a limited role. She explained:

«Neil worked with Tom for a bit shortly after his Air Force retirement as an unpaid consultant on military and technical/scientific matters to lend verisimilitude to Tom’s fiction book and media activities».

She said the collaboration later ended and that her husband was not deeply involved in UFO activism.

As the disappearance gained attention online, McCasland’s wife has pushed back against speculation linking the case to UFO conspiracies. Some commentators suggested the retired general may have been targeted because of classified knowledge about extraterrestrial programs. Wilkerson dismissed those claims and emphasized that her husband had no such insider information.

«Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt», she said when addressing rumors circulating online. She also commented on the unusual nature of the situation, adding:

«Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership».

«Neil worked with Tom for a bit shortly after his Air Force retirement as an unpaid consultant on military and technical/scientific matters to lend verisimilitude to Tom’s fiction book and media activities»

-William Neil McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson

Despite the public fascination surrounding McCasland’s past involvement in discussions about unidentified aerial phenomena, authorities say the case remains a missing-person investigation. Law enforcement officials have not indicated that foul play has been confirmed, and the focus of the search remains on locating the retired officer. Investigative journalist Ross Coulthart, who has reported extensively on UFO issues, described the situation as deeply concerning given McCasland’s career background. He said the disappearance involves «a man with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States in his head», underscoring why the case has drawn attention far beyond New Mexico as investigators continue the search.