IRGC says it downed US MQ-9 drone over Persian Gulf

Mojtaba Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s third Supreme Leader, said in a message published Tuesday for the Hajj pilgrimage that Israel would not exist within the next 15 years.

No image or audio recording of Mojtaba Khamenei has been released since his appointment as supreme leader.

The message, published by Iranian media, referred to remarks made a decade ago by Ali Khamenei, the slain former supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, who said Israel would “not see the next 25 years.”

Describing Israel as an “unstable Zionist regime” and a “cancerous tumor,” the message said it was “approaching the final stages of its cursed existence.”

Iranian media published a message attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei marking the Hajj pilgrimage, saying the United States and Israel had been targeted through missile and drone capabilities on land, at sea and in the air, and that regional countries would no longer serve as a shield for the US military presence.

The message said countries in the region share capacities and interests that could help shape “a new order in the region and the world.”

It also said the slogans “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” would remain the rallying cries of the Islamic world, particularly among young people.

“The region will not return to past conditions, and Washington will no longer have a safe place to station military bases in the region,” the message added.

The statement was published despite no image or audio recording of Mojtaba Khamenei having appeared since the war began in February.

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of parliament’s National Security Committee, said differing accounts have emerged over the amount of financial resources under discussion, adding that Islamic Republic officials have put the figure at $25 billion.

However, according to US officials, only $12 billion of that amount is held in Qatar, he said.

Bakhshayesh Ardestani added that the funds had been due to be transferred to Iran through Russia, but the United States blocked the move, leaving roughly $12 billion still in Qatar.

Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman said Tehran would respond more forcefully to any new attack by the United States or Israel, saying the Islamic Republic had identified targets and was prepared for war.

“The response to any new aggression will be different from what it was before,” Abolfazl Shekarchi told Al Jazeera, adding that Iran’s attacks would be “more severe, heavier and stronger” than in previous conflicts.

Shekarchi also said Iran would control the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran will manage this vital waterway firmly and decisively with the aim of ensuring security and protecting international trade and the global economy.”

Iran’s School Renovation Organization says assessments so far show that 1,507 schools and 219 non-educational facilities were damaged during the recent war.

The head of the organization said 15 schools were completely destroyed and are now slated for reconstruction with the help of charities and support organizations.

Officials also said another 254 schools are expected to resume operations in two months.