Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a stern warning, stating that any threat from the U.S. or Israel will be met with an immediate response without geographic limits. The official IRNA news agency reported his remarks, which were made during a meeting with military officials. Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, also called for an updated list of potential targets in the U.S. and Israel. He assumed leadership after the initial wave of strikes killed his father and other high-ranking officials.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that a new proposal has been reached with mediators to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz in just two days. This follows a previous proposal that was rejected last month, which sought to reopen the critical waterway within a week in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, releasing frozen assets, and waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Araghchi also mentioned that Iran is reviewing a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance but has no plans to meet with U.S. officials unless Washington agrees to Iran’s conditions.
Regional leaders are urging calm to prevent a military escalation. Saudi Arabia's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed ElKhereiji, emphasized the region's desire for peace and efforts to reach an agreement that ends the Iran crisis. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned that any escalation would be extremely destructive. Additionally, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani discussed border security with Jordan, stating it is a shared responsibility, and mentioned potential discussions about Syria joining the Saudi-led Mecca Pact.