Iranian foreign minister says there’s ‘no problem’ with new Supreme Leader
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi insisted there is “no problem” with Mojtaba Khamenei,the newly named supreme leader,despite his absence from public appearances as being chosen to succeed Ali Khamenei after the former leader’s death at the war’s onset. Khamenei delivered his first nationwide address in written form, read by a state broadcaster, which sparked speculation about his health and visibility. Araghchi told MS NOW that “everything is under control” and defended the leadership as resilient against Western doubts. The report also covers the U.S. response,detailing Operation Epic Fury with claims of extensive strikes against Iran and the destruction of Iranian targets,including bombing of Kharg Island,while President Trump says Iran is “totally defeated” and seeks a deal. A multinational coalition was announced to guard the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran’s side argues the strait remains open to many ships; the United Nations has noted a sharp drop in Hormuz traffic, and UKMTO reports about 20 incidents affecting vessels in the area, with several attacks attributed to Iranian forces. The piece highlights contrasting views: officials in Tehran projecting a steady,well-ordered state,while Western figures question the new leadership’s health and legitimacy amid ongoing hostilities.
Iranian foreign minister says there’s ‘no problem’ with new Supreme Leader
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted on Saturday that there is “no problem” with the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, despite his absence from the public eye.
Khamenei, who was selected to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, after the former Ayatollah was killed on the first day of the war, has not made any public or live appearances since the start of the conflict. Khamenei delivered his first address to the nation on Thursday as a written statement, which was read by an Iranian state media newscaster. He notably did not appear on television, sparking speculation about his physical state from pundits.
But Araghchi stood by the health of Khamenei in an interview with MS NOW on Saturday, saying “everything is under control.”
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“They will see soon, I guess, that there is no problem with the new Supreme Leader. He sent his message yesterday, and he will perform his duties. He is performing his duties, according to the Constitution, and he will continue to do that,” Araghchi said.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Khamenei is “likely disfigured,” questioning why the supreme leader resorted to a written statement. Hegseth pointed out that “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders” and said, “his father’s dead, he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy.”
“We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth’s words echoed those of President Donald Trump, who said of Khamenei on Thursday, “I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form.”
When asked about these indications from U.S. intelligence, Araghchi dismissed what he called the “accusations” and also said that the Islamic regime is “a very well-established political structure,” touting it as resilient.
“Everything is in place, so they shouldn’t have any hope for anything happening to the individuals. The system is working. It worked properly after the assassination and the martyrdom of our supreme leader, you saw that nothing happened and everything remained in order, and still everything is under control,” Aragchi said.
In the first two weeks of the U.S.’s Operation Epic Fury, the American military hit over 15,000 Iranian targets. Trump declared on Saturday that Iran is “totally defeated” and wants to make a deal with the Trump administration.
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The U.S. military has offered a grim report of the reality on the ground for Iran. U.S. Central Command has destroyed over 90 Iranian vessels so far and launched a massive bombing campaign of the military targets on Iran’s oil lifeline of Kharg Island on Friday.
“The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.
All eyes are now turning to the Strait of Hormuz, where Trump said a multinational group of warships is headed to defend the oil-shipping waterway from any Iranian aggression. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has choked off the narrow strait nearly entirely, as there have been several reports of Iranian attacks on oil tankers since the start of the war.
Aragchi claimed that there are still “many tankers and ships” passing through the strait in the Saturday interview. But according to the United Nations, Strait of Hormuz traffic has dropped by about 97% since the start of the war on Feb. 28, as the IRGC stranglehold continues.
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“The Strait of Hormuz is open. It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass. Of course, many of them prefer not, because of their security concerns. This has nothing to do with us,” Aragchi said.
On Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization reported 20 incidents affecting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28. Of those incidents, 16 were attacks on commercial shipping in the region by Iranian forces.
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