Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has rejected proposals for reducing tensions or for a ceasefire with the United States that were conveyed to Tehran by two intermediary countries, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
Hardline Position On Conflict
Khamenei’s stance for revenge against the U.S. and Israel was “very tough and serious” in his first foreign policy session, the official said, without clarifying whether the leader attended the session in person.
War Enters Third Week
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off, with U.S. allies rebuffing U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for help to reopen the critical waterway, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.
The senior official, who asked not to be named, said the supreme leader had said it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation”.
Three sources told Reuters on March 14 that Trump’s administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war.
Meanwhile, some details are emerging as to how Mojtaba survived the Israeli missile strike which killed his father and other family members.
Details Emerge On Strike
According to an audio recording obtained by The Telegraph, Mojtaba had stepped outside for a walk in the garden of his father’s compound just minutes before Israeli Blue Sparrow ballistic missiles struck his residence on February 28. Due to his brief absence from the building, Mojtaba’s life was spared, leaving him with only a minor leg injury.
Mojtaba’s wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel and their son Bagher were killed in the strike. The body of Mohammad Shirazi, chief of Khamenei’s military bureau, was reportedly “blown to pieces.”
The strike was aimed at wiping out the entire Khamenei family. Mojtaba lived in the same compound as his father, which also housed a religious hall where Ali Khamenei delivered speeches and the residences of other children.
(with inputs from Reuters)
