NPR News: 07-11-2026 5PM EDT

Iran’s new leader, Ayatollah Moshtaba Khamenei, delivered his second public audio address since taking power in March, vowing revenge for the killing of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli air strikes in February. Meanwhile, the biggest housing bill in thirty years became law without President Trump’s signature, as mortgage rates rose and home sales dropped in June. On Wall Street, the Nasdaq got a boost from the debut of South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix, and the World Cup continued with a doubleheader featuring Norway against England and Argentina against Switzerland.

Iran’s New Leader Speaks, but Remains Hidden

In his second audio address, Iran’s current leader, Ayatollah Moshtaba Khamenei, called his father’s killers “criminals” and promised to uphold the late supreme leader’s legacy. “We pledge to take revenge for your pure blood and all the martyrs of these two wars,” Moshtaba Khamenei said, referring to Iran’s conflicts. Like his first address in March, the speech was read by a news anchor on Iranian state media, and the leader did not appear on camera. Moshtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since he took power in March. Three of Ayatollah Khamenei’s sons attended his funeral this week, but his fourth son and successor was notably absent from the days-long procession.