Iran-US-Israel War: Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has rejected a proposal for a ceasefire with the United States on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported, quoting a senior Iranian official.
The proposal, seeking a pause in the tensions, was reportedly conveyed to Iran by two intermediary countries.
According to the report, the stance of the new Supreme Leader on taking revenge on the USA was “very tough and serious” during his first foreign policy session.
The development comes as the war enters day 16, with no end in sight. Over 2,000 people have died in the conflict, which began on February 28, when the US and Israel jointly launched Operation Epic Fury to eliminate Iran’s top leadership.
In the initial strike, Iran’s erstwhile Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed along with multiple family members of the ruling family.
Among the deceased were the wife and son of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was later elevated to the seat of Ayatollah by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Mojtaba Khamenei in Russia
While the country reels under relentless pounding by Israel and the US, reports suggest that the new Ayatollah was flown out to Moscow to recover from a serious leg injury he sustained during the attack.
A Kuwaiti newspaper, Al Jarida, claimed that a Russian military aircraft was sent by President Putin to airlift the injured leader.
Iran Continues Attack on Neighbours
While the US and Israel have collectively launched over 2,000 attacks against Iran, Tehran too has amped up the attacks, targeting Washington’s commercial interests and military bases in countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.