Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said that “any kind and level of threat” from the U.S. or Israel should face an immediate response without geographic limits, the official IRNA news agency reported Saturday.
State media said that Khamenei, who still hasn’t been seen publicly since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, made the comments while meeting with the military. He also called for an updated list of potential U.S. and Israeli targets.
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu had both threatened to resume strikeson Iran after elections in their countries. Israel voted this past week, and the U.S. midterm elections are Tuesday.
Khamenei became supreme leader after the first wave of strikes killed his father and other high-ranking officials. He has been meeting with senior officials in recent weeks, according to state media.
Iran’s top diplomat, meanwhile, said that a proposal has been reached with mediators that would shorten to two days the time needed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Last month, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi floated a proposal to reopen the critical waterway within a week if the U.S. agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, among other conditions. That was rejected.
In an interview with Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Araghchi also said that Iran isn’t planning to meet with U.S. officials, but said that recent American efforts toward “broader dialogue” are considered a positive step.
He said that Iran has carefully reviewed a letter that was sent days earlier by Vice President JD Vance. And he said a decision on whether negotiations will be direct or indirect would be made “once Washington agrees to Iran’s conditions.”
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