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“This is not the time for peace,” Khamenei reportedly said, insisting the United States and Israel must first be defeated and made to pay compensation.
By United with Israel Staff
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly rejected proposals aimed at easing tensions with the United States, according to an Iranian official who spoke to Reuters.
The proposals were reportedly conveyed to Iran’s Foreign Ministry by two intermediary countries, but Khamenei told a foreign policy meeting that “this is not the right time for peace,” adding that the United States and Israel must first be defeated and forced to pay compensation.
Khamenei delivered his first public message last week through a written statement read on Iranian state television, urging Iranians to rally behind the regime and calling for continued pressure on the United States and its allies.
No current images or video of the new leader were shown during the broadcast, fueling speculation about his condition.
The uncertainty surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s status dates back to the Feb. 28 strike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Mojtaba Khamenei was present at the compound during the attack that destroyed the building where the elder Khamenei and several family members and advisers were gathered.
Leaked audio obtained by the outlet reportedly indicates that the younger Khamenei had stepped outside into the garden just seconds before bunker-busting bombs struck the compound, narrowly escaping death in the same strike.
Questions about his condition have continued to circulate. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that reports regarding the 56-year-old cleric’s health remain conflicting following the strike.
“A lot of people are saying that he is badly disfigured,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re saying that he lost his leg, one leg, and that he has been hurt very badly. Other people are saying that he is dead. Nobody is saying that he is 100% healthy.”
Additional speculation emerged after Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that Khamenei was secretly flown to Moscow after being wounded and underwent surgery there. According to the report, he remains in Russia.
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