Mojtaba Khamenei Refuses De-escalation Proposal Submitted by Intermediaries

JAKARTA - Iran's new Supreme Leader has rejected de-escalation proposals presented to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding that Israel and the United States first "be forced to kneel," a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.

Mojtaba Khamenei has held his first foreign policy session since being appointed as supreme leader, and has taken a stance to take revenge against the US and Israel "very hard and serious," the official said, without clarifying whether the leader was present in person or remotely, reported Al Arabiya from Reuters (17/3).

The senior official, who asked not to be named, said two intermediary countries had presented proposals to Iran's Foreign Ministry to "reduce tensions or a ceasefire with the United States."

However, the official did not provide further details about the proposal or the intermediary.

The Supreme Leader has responded that this is not "the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are forced to kneel, accept defeat, and pay compensation."

The Supreme Leader has the final say in all state affairs in Iran. No new images have been released about him since he was elected more than a week ago by the assembly of clerics to replace his father, Ali Khamenei.

Several Iranian officials said he suffered minor injuries in the attack that killed his father. US officials said he suffered serious injuries.

The US-Israeli war in Iran entered its third week with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, with US allies refusing President Donald Trump's request to help reopen the vital waterway, raising energy prices and inflation fears.

In his first public message since his election, read out by state television last week, Mojtaba Khamenei said the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as a means of pressure against "Iran's enemies."

Three sources told Reuters on March 14 that the Trump administration had rejected allies' attempts to initiate diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war.