Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, is “still alive as far as I understand,” following joint strikes conducted by the United States and Israel, NBC News reported Friday.
Araghchi, speaking in a live interview, indicated that two commanders had been killed in the strikes, but that senior officials within the Iranian regime had survived. The statement comes amid heightened tensions and military action in the region, following a series of retaliatory strikes initiated after an earlier period of escalating conflict.
The comments from Araghchi follow an announcement by former President Trump of the beginning of “major combat operations in Iran,” and confirmation that the U.S. Was participating in strikes alongside Israel. Prior to these developments, Israel had asserted launching a pre-emptive strike on Iranian targets. Trump had likewise previously claimed Iran was “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”
Republican Congressman Don Bacon, a vocal proponent of support for Ukraine, has publicly expressed a willingness to risk the disapproval of Trump regarding policy toward Iran, stating, “I feel so strongly about it, I just don’t care,” according to the New York Post. Bacon has also been critical of the current regime, asserting that “the world cannot coexist with the ayatollah and his regime.” A Republican PAC has reportedly begun efforts to unseat Bacon due to his criticisms of Trump, drawing parallels to the situation faced by Representative Thomas Massie.
The situation has sparked debate within the Republican party, with some members expressing concerns over Trump’s financial stake in Intel, labeling it as “a step toward socialism,” according to Fox Business. Senator Kim has called for Congress to reconvene for a vote on a war powers resolution.
Air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv during live television broadcasts, signaling the intensity of the escalating conflict. The Iranian foreign minister previously dismissed Trump’s call for regime change as “mission impossible.”
