TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday called on the country’s judiciary to pursue legal action and restore the rights of Iranians who he said were affected by what he described as wars of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran since last year.
“Blood of those killed in the two wars of aggression against Iran – waged by the US and Israel in June 2025 and February 2026 – along with the physical, psychological, material and spiritual damage inflicted on Iran and its people inside and outside the country, forms the basis for hundreds or even thousands of significant legal cases,” Khamenei said in a message issued on the occasion of Judiciary Week and the anniversary of the killing of Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti and his companions.
Khamenei also referred to the deaths of children, alleged war crimes in the southern Iranian cities of Minab and Lamerd, attacks on medical and public service facilities, and civilian deaths ranging from newborn infants to elderly people.
He called for determined efforts to pursue such cases through both domestic and international legal channels.
Khamenei said one of the judiciary’s key responsibilities was to seek legal redress for damages inflicted on Iran by “international criminals and arrogant and aggressive powers”.
“The pursuit and restoration of the rights violated by international criminals and aggressive powers, particularly over the past year, is among the judiciary’s most important responsibilities,” he said.
He added that protecting the rights of the Iranian people went beyond individual legal cases and included defending the country’s collective rights against crimes allegedly committed by foreign powers.
Khamenei said Iran’s judiciary was responsible for safeguarding citizens’ rights, protecting public freedoms, fighting corruption, enforcing justice and ensuring implementation of the law. He added that successfully carrying out these duties would help strengthen public confidence in the judicial system.
Iran and US escalate attacks, threaten further conflict
Iran launched missiles and drones targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early on Sunday, shortly after US President Donald Trump warned he would wipe out Iran’s leadership if Tehran failed to follow the interim agreement aimed at ending the war.
Israel said on Sunday that it had struck Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Saturday, a day after agreeing to the latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon to reduce fighting. Iran has said the attacks must stop for the wider agreement to hold.
The US military said it had carried out further strikes on Iran, hours after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy shipping route, which Tehran has largely closed during the conflict.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump said in a social media post.
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” he added.
The 14-point interim peace accord was intended to stop the fighting, which the US and Israel began on February 28, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and allow talks to continue on issues including Iran’s nuclear programme.
Violence and accusations follow ceasefire agreement
A round of mediated talks led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was held in Switzerland a week ago. Washington also waived sanctions on Tehran, but fighting has since resumed and intensified.
Around an hour after Trump’s statement, Kuwait’s military said its air defences were responding to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain reported that sirens had sounded.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its navy and air forces had launched missile and drone operations targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The IRGC said US strikes had violated the ceasefire and “would result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes”, according to state-run Press TV. The IRGC Navy command warned that American bases in the region “will experience hell in the coming days”.
A US official, while confirming the attacks on US facilities, told Reuters that there were no reported US casualties or major damage to American sites in the Middle East, but said the situation remained ongoing.
Hours later, alarms sounded again in Bahrain, where authorities said an Iranian attack damaged a residential building in Muharraq province, with no casualties reported. Bahrain called on the UN Security Council to hold an urgent session to hold Iran accountable.
The Kuwaiti army said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles, with no damage or casualties reported.
Qatar condemns Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait
Qatar condemned Iran’s repeated missile and drone attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, calling them a violation of the two countries’ sovereignty and a breach of international law.
In a statement posted on X, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for the region to be protected from the consequences of what it described as unjustified attacks. It urged all sides to pursue dialogue and diplomacy, reduce tensions and build on progress made under the memorandum of understanding to strengthen regional and international security and stability.
The ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s full solidarity with Bahrain and Kuwait and expressed support for measures taken by both countries to protect their sovereignty and security.
Iraq urges reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Iraq’s foreign minister said during a meeting on Sunday with his Iranian counterpart that reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iran were important steps.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Iraq did not support expanding the conflict to Gulf states and did not back attacks on Iran. He made the remarks during talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was visiting Baghdad.
Araghchi calls on US to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the United States to pressure Israel to end its attacks on Lebanon, saying all provisions of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington must be implemented, Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking in Baghdad, Araghchi said Israel continued carrying out air strikes on Lebanon despite accepting the MoU.
He called on Washington to “live up to its responsibility” and compel Israel to stop its attacks in order to end the war.
Araghchi also urged the United States to push Israel to withdraw from areas it occupies in Lebanon, describing it as the first clause of the MoU.