Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has rejected proposals for reducing tensions conveyed by intermediary countries, insisting that Israel and the United States must first be “brought to their knees,” a senior Iranian official told reporters on Tuesday.
The statement came following Khamenei’s first foreign policy session since his selection by the clerical assembly to succeed his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the official, the session revealed a “very tough and serious” stance for revenge against the US and Israel, though it remains unclear whether the leader participated in person or remotely.
No compromise before defeat
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that two intermediary countries had conveyed proposals to Iran’s Foreign Ministry for “reducing tensions or a ceasefire with the United States.” Khamenei reportedly dismissed these overtures, stating that it was “not the right time for peace until the United States and Israel accept defeat, pay compensation, and acknowledge their failure.”
In the Islamic Republic, the supreme leader holds the final authority over all state matters, including foreign policy and military decisions. No new images of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei have been released since his appointment over a week ago. Some Iranian officials claim he sustained minor injuries in the strikes that killed his father, though US authorities suggest the injuries may have been severe.
Escalating conflict and global impact
The US-Israeli campaign against Iran has now entered its third week, claiming at least 2,000 lives with no immediate resolution in sight. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route, remains largely closed. US President Donald Trump’s appeals to allies to reopen the waterway have reportedly been rebuffed, causing rising energy prices and concerns over global inflation.
In his first public message since assuming power, read on state television, Khamenei emphasised that the Strait should remain closed as a tool of pressure on “Iran’s enemies.” Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the Trump administration has rebuffed regional diplomatic efforts aimed at negotiating an end to the conflict.
As the war enters its third week, the new supreme leader’s uncompromising stance signals that any hope for immediate de-escalation remains distant, with the Gulf region’s security and global energy markets hanging in the balance.