Any hope of de-escalation in the three-week-old war was dashed Tuesday as a senior Iranian official revealed the new supreme leader has rejected peace feelers from intermediaries — demanding the U.S. and Israel first be “brought to their knees” — while Israel claimed to have assassinated Iran’s security chief and the commander of its feared Basij militia.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two intermediary countries had conveyed proposals to Iran’s Foreign Ministry for “reducing tensions or ceasefire with the United States”. The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, responded that it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation”.
It was Khamenei’s first foreign policy session since being named supreme leader last week, replacing his father, who was killed on the first day of the war. The official did not clarify whether he attended in person or remotely.
The Assassination Claim
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed two of Iran’s most powerful figures: security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, who led the volunteer Basij militia, a key instrument of domestic repression.
Larijani would be the most senior figure assassinated since the former supreme leader. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered “the elimination of senior officials of the Iranian regime”.
Tehran has not confirmed the deaths. Iranian state media published a handwritten note by Larijani commemorating Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. attack, whose funeral was expected on Tuesday.
The War Continues
The duelling announcements came amid relentless exchanges of fire. Iran launched missiles at Israel overnight, demonstrating it retains the capacity for long-range strikes despite more than two weeks of pounding by U.S. and Israeli weapons. Iran’s army said it targeted cyber-technology centres in Israel and weapons manufacturing facilities of the Israeli arms manufacturer Rafael.
The Israeli military said it was striking “Iranian regime infrastructure” with a new wave of attacks across Tehran, as well as Hezbollah sites in Beirut. It follows Sunday’s announcement that Israel has detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war.
The Gulf in the Crossfire
Iran’s retaliation has increasingly targeted its Gulf neighbours. Six foreign diplomats told Reuters it was widely anticipated Tehran would hit Gulf Arab states if the U.S. or Israel attacked Iran — an assessment shared by regional and Western governments before the war began.
The UAE has faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since February 28, striking U.S. diplomatic missions, military bases, oil infrastructure, ports, airports, ships, and residential and commercial buildings.
On Tuesday, oil loading at the UAE’s Fujairah port — one of the few outlets for Gulf oil that bypasses the blockaded Strait of Hormuz — was at least partly halted after a third attack in four days caused a fire at the export terminal.
Debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in Abu Dhabi’s Bani Yas area, killing one Pakistani national. A fire caused by a drone attack was being fought at Abu Dhabi’s Shah gas field.
Oil prices jumped about 4% on Tuesday as investors fretted about a renewed spike in inflation.
The Diplomatic Void
Trump has called on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows. His demands have been rebuffed.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters the bloc is seeking diplomatic solutions.
“Nobody is ready to put their people in harm’s way in the Strait of Hormuz,” Kallas said. “We have to find diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don’t have a food crisis, fertilizers crisis, energy crisis as well”.
But with Iran’s new leader demanding surrender before talks, and Israel claiming to have killed his top security officials, the diplomatic path looks increasingly narrow.
What Comes Next
Three weeks in, the war has killed at least 2,000 people, mostly Iranians. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Global energy markets are in turmoil. And the combatants show no sign of backing down.
The new supreme leader’s first foreign policy statement was defiance, not diplomacy. Israel’s latest assassination claim signals it will keep targeting the regime’s top figures. The Gulf states are burning.
“Bring them to their knees” is not a negotiating position. It’s a declaration that this war will continue until one side can no longer fight. Three weeks in, neither has reached that point.
