Ayatollah Khamenei held his first foreign policy meeting since being appointed supreme leader and took a “very tough and serious” stance on retaliating against the United States and Israel.
Iran’s new supreme leader has rejected de-escalation proposals conveyed to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding that Israel and the United States first “bring them to their knees,” a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
Khamenei held his first foreign policy meeting since being appointed supreme leader and took a “very tough and serious” stance on retaliating against the United States and Israel, the official said, without clarifying whether the leader was attending in person or remotely.
The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two intermediary countries had made proposals to Iran’s foreign ministry to “de-escalate tensions with the United States or to cease fire.” The official gave no further details about the proposal or the intermediary.
The supreme leader responded that “now is not the best time for peace until the United States and Israel surrender, accept defeat and pay reparations.”
The Supreme Leader has the final say on all state affairs in the Islamic Republic. No new photos of him have been released since he was chosen by the clerical assembly to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than a week ago.
Oil tankers are seen sailing in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz from north of Ras Al Khaimah, near the border with the Musandam regime in Oman, March 11, 2026, during the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in the United Arab Emirates. (Image source: REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo)
Iran’s new leader rejects de-escalation proposals
Some Iranian officials said he suffered minor injuries in the attack that killed his father. U.S. officials said he was seriously injured.
The US-Israeli war against Iran has entered its third week and has killed at least 2,000 people, with no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, with U.S. allies rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s pleas for help reopening the vital waterway, leading to higher energy prices and concerns about inflation.
In his first public remarks since his election, read out on state television last week, the new supreme leader said the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed as a tool to pressure “Iran’s enemies.”
On March 14, three sources told Reuters that the Trump administration had rejected efforts by Middle East allies to launch diplomatic talks to end the war with Iran.