Israel Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on Saturday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is still alive, hours after several Israeli media reports claimed that he was killed in the joint strikes by the United States (US) and Israel.ย
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is still alive “as far as I know”, said Aragchi, while speaking to NBC News. “All high ranking officials are alive… So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine.”
In his interview, Araghchi said Iran is willing to de-escalate and is only targeting bases of the US in the Middle East. He said Iran is also interested in talks after the US-Israel joint strikes end, but added that there has been no communication from anyone. Though he said the US can contact him if they want to talk to the Iranian leadership.
“We are certainly interested for de-escalation,” the Iranian foreign minister said. This is a war of choice by the United States, and they have to pay for that. But as far as we are concerned, we donโt want war.”
US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliation
Though Khamenei is alive, the joint strikes by the US and Israel have killed Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour, according to media reports. The strikes have had massive devastation in Iran; though the Islamic republic is yet to issue a statement.ย
Iran is now conducting strikes on US military bases in the region. It has targeted the Juffair Naval Base in Bahrain, the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, the Al Dhafra Air Base and Al Fujairah Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, and the US base in Iraq’s Erbil.
Iran’s strikes have drawn condemnation from mostly all Gulf nations, who have called all sides exercise restraint and resolve all conflicts via dialogue and diplomacy, though. However, Iran has remained firmed and warned of unleashing its “never seen before” weapons against the US and its allies in the region.
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