Mojtaba Khamenei threatens retaliation against US and Israel
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on France 24 and Punch
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warns the United States and Israel against further strikes on Iran, as Washington and Benjamin Netanyahu discuss a possible resumption of military operations, France 24 Afrique reports. Punch adds that Tehran is currently ruling out direct talks with Washington, despite mediation by Qatar and Pakistan and a US letter aimed at reviving dialogue.
During a meeting with senior military officials, Mojtaba Khamenei ordered Iran’s list of targets to be updated to include « all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy », Punch reports. He also said that any threat should trigger an « immediate, forceful and geographically unrestricted » response. The meeting, the first reported between the supreme leader and Iran’s military leadership, included armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi.
Punch specifies that Mojtaba Khamenei had not been seen in public since taking power in March, after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in US-Israeli strikes. The outlet also reports that Iran has already threatened to cut undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption normally passes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to Punch, that no meeting with US officials was currently planned, as Qatari and Pakistani mediators seek to revive talks. He nevertheless described as a « positive step » the letter sent to Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei by US Vice-President JD Vance, at Donald Trump’s request.
