NPR News: 07-11-2026 9AM EDT

Louise Schiavone· Host0:01

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. In a new public statement, Iran's leader delivered a defiant message days after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried. The ayatollah was killed in US Israeli airstrikes in February. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been publicly seen since he took power in March. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi reports.

Hadil Al-Shalchi0:24

In his second audio address, Iran's current leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, called his father's killers, quote, 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," Mojtaba Khamenei said, referring to Iran's war with Israel in June twenty twenty-five and the current war with the US and Israel. Like his first address in March, Mojtaba Khamenei's speech was read by a news anchor on Iranian state media, and the leader did not appear on camera. Three of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's sons attended his funeral this week, but his fourth son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was not seen publicly during the days-long procession. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.

Louise Schiavone· Host1:09

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that an American in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola. Michael Kaloki has more.

Michael Kaloki1:20

In a statement, the agency said that the individual, a US citizen who works for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has tested positive