Israel said on Tuesday it had removed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, while a senior Iranian official revealed that the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had rejected proposals aimed at easing tensions that had been passed through intermediaries, insisting that Israel and the United States must first be “brought to their knees”, Reuters reported.
The unnamed official said the two mediating nations had forwarded proposals to Iran’s foreign ministry regarding “de-escalation or a ceasefire with the United States,” but gave no further details.
The noted official, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, during his first foreign policy meeting since taking charge, said it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat and pay reparations.”
The official also did not specify whether Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since taking power from his late father last week, attended the meeting in person or via remote means.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces killed Iranian security chief Ali Larijani along with Gholamreza Soleimani, who headed the Basij volunteer militia, an organization that plays a significant role in maintaining domestic security.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s actions were aimed at weakening Iran’s leadership, which he said could create an opportunity for the Iranian public to rise up and overthrow the government.
“It won’t happen in one fell swoop, it won’t be easy. But if we persevere – we will give them the opportunity to take their destiny into their own hands,” he mentioned.
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Tehran has not responded to Israeli claims that Ali Larijani was killed. Iranian state media instead published a handwritten note attributed to Larijani honoring the Iranian sailors who died in the US attack, whose funerals were scheduled for Tuesday.
As secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Larijani would be the highest-ranking official targeted since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the day the US-Israeli airstrikes began on February 28.
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After Khamenei’s death, Larijani became one of the most influential figures in the Islamic Republic, holding several key positions and maintaining close relations with the late leader. He was also known for his rather pragmatic approach to dealing with the country’s often competing political factions.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has entered its third week, with the death toll rising to at least 2,000 and no clear signs of de-escalation.
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The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed while several US allies have rejected President Donald Trump’s requests for help in reopening the key sea route that carries nearly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose about 2% on Tuesday after Iran renewed attacks on energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates, and have risen about 45% since the start of the conflict, fueling fears of another wave of global inflation.
