Iran's FM Araghchi recalls strike that killed Khamenei (Img: Internet)
Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that he was inside the office of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when it was struck during the first wave of US-Israeli attacks on Tehran on February 28.
Speaking to Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television, Araghchi said he came out from the rubble fearing that Khamenei had been killed. Iran officially confirmed Khamenei’s death on March 1.
“At the moment of his martyrdom, I was in the office that was attacked. My first concern was the condition of the Leader,” Araghchi said, according to Iran’s Press TV.
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Araghchi revealed that he remained uncertain about Khamenei’s fate for nearly two days while helping oversee evacuation operations during the conflict.
He also claimed that despite repeated suggestions to shift to a secure shelter, Khamenei had refused to leave.
Quoting the late Supreme Leader, Araghchi said: “I will not go to a shelter or secure place unless every Iranian citizen also has access to safety. Whatever happens to my people will happen to me as well.”
The Iranian foreign minister also criticised the United States over the use of military bases in Gulf countries during the conflict.
According to Araghchi, Tehran had warned neighbouring countries that allowing American forces to launch operations from their territory could invite retaliation.
He claimed several Gulf governments did not support the use of their soil for attacks on Iran, but Washington allegedly ignored those concerns.
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Araghchi further stated that Iran’s immediate retaliation surprised both the United States and Israel, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“No one anticipated Iran's immediate and powerful retaliation despite the scale of the assault,” he said.
On Iran’s leadership transition, Araghchi said Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, now exercises full authority in the country.
He added that communication with the new leadership remains uninterrupted and that national institutions continue to function normally amid the fragile ceasefire announced on April 8.
