The speaker of Iran’s Parliament warned in a social media post that “if the war continues like this, there will be neither a way to sell oil nor the ability to produce it.” Oil and gas prices have
risen sharply in recent days. The speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran “are burning not only America’s interests, but also the interests of the region and the world.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, rejected calls for a cease-fire, demanding that the U.S. and Israel first explain “why they started this aggression” before Iran could “even consider” a cessation of hostilities. “This is not the war of our choice,” Araghchi said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” vowing that Iran would continue fighting until it receives a guarantee of a “permanent” peace.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Sunday it is unclear who will become the country’s next supreme leader amid reports from Iranian media that the Assembly of Experts would soon pick a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether Ayatollah Khamenei’s son Mojtaba would be the country’s next leader, Araghchi replied, “Well, nobody knows. Actually, there are lots of rumors around.” He also rejected President Trump’s statement that he should have a role in picking a successor. “We allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs,” the foreign minister said. “This is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader.”
