Iran is securely guarding access to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in airstrikes directed at the nation’s leadership at the start of the war.
In an interview with Iranian conservative media outlet Majaraa Media, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that access to the Ayatollah is now strictly restricted.
“I have not seen Mojtaba Khamenei during this period,” the diplomat said, adding: “And I do not think anyone other than a limited few has seen him.”
On the closure of the critical Hormuz route, Araghchi disclosed Iran had, over the years, agreed that “the Strait would be closed immediately” if the Supreme Leader was targeted.
Iran’s adversaries, the minister noted, were aware that the late revered cleric Ali Khamenei was in his office every morning, making him a readily identifiable target.
Araghchi said the February 28 bombardment “points to the existence of a security breach” as the timing coincided with the meeting of senior military commanders.
“That breach is probably still not completely eliminated and needs to be addressed,” he stressed. “The security services are investigating the matter.”
Meanwhile, the United States is reportedly deploying additional F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft to the Middle East following Iran’s region-wide assaults.
Retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have hit Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait, affecting U.S. military sites and state-owned infrastructure.
Two U.S. service members were killed in a July 17 attack in Jordan. One soldier died in an incident in Iraq on July 18, while another was injured during a controlled detonation of unexpended ordnance.
