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19-03-2026
TEHRAN: Iran’s new supreme leader has rejected de-escalation proposals conveyed to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding Israel and the United States first be “brought to their knees”, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had held his first foreign policy session since being named supreme leader, and had taken a stance for revenge against the US and Israel that was “very tough and serious”, the official said, without clarifying whether the leader attended in person or remotely.
The senior official, who asked not to be identified, said two intermediary countries had conveyed proposals to Iran’s Foreign Ministry for “reducing tensions or ceasefire with the United States”. The official did not give further details of the proposals or the intermediaries.
The supreme leader had responded that it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation.”
The supreme leader has the final say in all matters of state in the Islamic Republic. No new images have been released of him since his selection over a week ago by a clerical assembly to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Some Iranian officials have said he was slightly injured in the strikes that killed his father. US officials have suggested he suffered severe injuries.
The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off, with US allies rebuffing US President Donald Trump’s request for help to reopen the critical waterway, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.
In his first public message since selected, which was read out by a state TV broadcaster last week, the new supreme leader said the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed as a tool of pressure on “Iran’s enemies”.
Three sources told media on March 14 that Trump’s administration had rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war.
On the other hand, Israel claimed on Tuesday to have killed Iran’s security chief, while a senior Iranian official said the new supreme leader had rejected de-escalation offers conveyed by intermediaries, demanding Israel and the US first be “brought to their knees”.
The senior official, who asked not to be identified, said two intermediary countries had conveyed proposals to Iran’s Foreign Ministry for “reducing tensions or ceasefire with the United States”. The official did not give further details of the proposals or the intermediaries.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who had held his first foreign policy session since being named supreme leader, had responded that it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation”, the official said.
He did not clarify whether Khamenei, who has not yet been pictured since being named last week to replace his slain father, had attended the meeting in person or remotely.
The US-Israeli war on Iran is now in its third week, with at least 2,000 people killed and no end in sight.
The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off and US allies have rebuffed US President Donald Trump’s calls for them to help to reopen the vital waterway, through which about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
A statement from the prime minister’s office said Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered “the elimination of senior officials of the Iranian regime”. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
