‘Khamenei’ says US, Israel hit by ‘decisive blow’ amid mixed signals on talks, US security alert

A statement attributed to Iran’s supreme leader on Thursday said that the United States and Israel had been dealt a “decisive blow” in their war with the Islamic Republic, as the US sent mixed signals about whether the fighting could resume. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen or heard in public since being wounded in strikes that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28. His message, read out by a prayer leader at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, came amid weeks of talks marked by threats and flare-ups of violence that have so far failed to secure a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for global energy flows.

In his message, Khamenei ostensibly said his country’s enemies, after “facing a decisive blow,” were now “experiencing a deeply meaningful and profound humiliation.” Every June 4 since 1989, the elder Khamenei had delivered a speech at the commemoration of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s death. This year, however, an empty chair bearing his portrait stood at the mausoleum, according to footage broadcast from the site. The US and Iran have sent divergent messages about the talks, with Tehran insisting on steep conditions for progress, even as US President Donald Trump again voiced optimism, telling reporters on Wednesday that a deal “could happen” over the weekend. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has told aides privately that he would consider ending the ceasefire with Iran if Tehran killed American troops.

On Thursday, according to a report on Channel 12, the US sent a message to Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator, demanding a reply from Iran by the weekend and a signing ceremony in Geneva next week. It was unclear what the consequences would be if Iran failed to abide by those terms.And in an interview with state TV, Khamenei adviser Mohsen Rezaei said the current draft of the memorandum of understanding being negotiated to end the war has ambiguities that have to be clarified. Trump wants to pressure Iran to accept his conditions and keep Tehran’s conditions in a vague state, Rezaei added. (Read More)