The situation in the Middle East has once again heated up. A statement by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has created a stir in the entire region, in which he directly targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and said that he has been marked for death. In response to this, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gave an open warning to America on Wednesday.
Araghchi wrote on X that the terms of the agreement (MoU) signed in Islamabad are very clear and are in front of the world. He taunted that US President Donald Trump had promised to keep his ‘pets’ under control in Tel Aviv, and if they did not obey their ‘master’, Iran would teach them a lesson. He clearly said that any threat against the Iranian people and leadership will be responded to immediately and forcefully.
In fact, this whole controversy started when Israeli Defense Minister Katz said in a conversation with Hebrew media that Khamenei had already been attacked twice, and if the situation forced it, a third operation was also possible. Describing Iranian officials as expert dealmakers, Katz also reiterated that Israel will not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
It is noteworthy that Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen on any public platform since assuming the throne of Supreme Leader in the beginning of March. He got this post after the death of his father and the then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an Israeli attack in late February. Coincidentally, at the same time, Katz had posted on
Meanwhile, Iran has now set the dates for Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremony, nearly five months after his death. From 4 to 9 July, large scale events will be held in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad (Iran) and Najaf, Karbala (Iraq). Critics say that such a delay and such a big event is just an attempt to show public support.
Despite the tension, diplomatic efforts have not stopped. According to American media reports, US and Iran officials are holding technical talks in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have also met the Prime Minister of Qatar to prepare the ground for these talks. However, experts say that differences between the two sides still remain on many points of the agreement reached on June 17.