Iran's dual track: smuggling surge and revenge vow
Mojtaba Khamenei promises retaliation as Iran accelerates oil and arms shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's dual track: smuggling surge and revenge vow — Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, published a message vowing revenge for the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, stating: 'Tehran vows to avenge your blood and the blood of all those killed in two wars. This revenge is the will of our nation, and it must be carried out soon.'[^1] The vow came after the funeral on July 10, which Mojtaba did not attend because Iranian security forces strictly forbade it, according to sources cited by the New York Times.[^2] Meanwhile, Iran is accelerating smuggling operations through the Strait of Hormuz. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal, based on data from maritime tracking firm Kepler, shows that in the last three days, more than a third of the 101 vessels crossing the strait did so via the protected route near Iran's shores.[^3] Since June 18, over 34 million barrels of Iranian crude oil have crossed the strait. This activity continues despite recent US strikes that hit over 170 targets inside Iran. China's purchases of Iranian oil dropped 38% in June to 880,000 barrels per day, suggesting Tehran is seeking alternative buyers. The dual track of public threats and covert smuggling reflects a leadership determined to project strength while exploiting the strategic chokepoint. But the gap between rhetoric and operational capacity remains wide: Mojtaba Khamenei is 56 and gradually recovering from an injury, and Iran's oil revenues are under pressure. The question is whether the revenge vow is a genuine operational directive or a tool to consolidate power at home. Israeli political discourse: election integrity fears and judicial tensions — Attorney Dean Livneh, the outgoing legal advisor of the election committee, offered a pointed assessment: "even if elections cannot be rigged, one can try to make the public think they were rigged." [^1] His comment arrives amid a broader debate about electoral trust in Israel, which Yuval Elbashan analyzes by drawing parallels between fearmongering about election fraud in Israel and the January 6 events in the United States. [^2] The judicial branch remains a flashpoint. Gil Bringer criticizes the Supreme Court's contradict