Tehran: Iran’s newly-appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has turned down proposals for de-escalation or a ceasefire with the United States, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing a senior official.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official termed Mojtaba’s approach to retaliation against the US and Israel as “very tough and serious” during his first foreign policy meeting since taking charge following the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It’s not clear whether Mojtaba participated in person.
Mojtaba declared it was not “the right time for peace” until the US and Israel are “brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation.”
These statements come at a time when the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran is into its third week, with reports of at least 2,000 fatalities and no path to resolution in sight.
Reuters reported last weekend that the administration of President Donald Trump rebuffed diplomatic initiatives from Middle Eastern allies aimed at halting the fighting. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route, remains largely sealed off, exacerbating global energy price surges and inflation worries.
Israel has reported multiple fresh high-value strikes, with Defence minister Israel Katz claiming that Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani was “eliminated” in an overnight attack.
Tehran has neither denied nor confirmed the development.
Katz further stated that Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force, perished in a “precise strike.”
On Monday, the Israeli military disclosed the destruction of an aircraft at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, a facility serving both civilian flights and air force operations. The plane had reportedly transported senior Iranian officials and military personnel for domestic and overseas journeys.
