Iranian chancellor speaks of desire for de-escalation, denies ability to reach US and claims supreme leader is alive

United States and Israel attack Iran in coordinated attack; Iranian regime responds with missiles Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is alive — “as far as I know,” he said. And that the country is interested in de-escalating the conflict, but is not yet in contact with the United States. FOLLOW LIVE COVERAGE OF THE CONFLICT Attack kills 51 Iranian schoolgirls in the south of the country, says state press MAP shows Iranian cities attacked and places targeted by Iran’s retaliation The statements were made in an interview with NBC News, given in Tehran after the joint attacks carried out by the United States and Israel this Saturday (28). Explosions were recorded in the capital Tehran and at least four other cities. In response, Iran fired missiles at Israel and attacked American bases in the Middle East. Araghchi confirmed that two commanders died in the bombings, but said that the main members of the regime survived, including the head of the judiciary and the president of Parliament. “We may have lost some commanders, but that’s not a big problem,” he said. The Reuters Agency heard military sources who said that Iran’s Defense Minister, Amir Nasirzadeh, and the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Mohammed Pakpour, died in Saturday’s Israeli attacks. The Iranian foreign minister also stated that he sees the possibility of reaching an agreement that guarantees that Iran’s nuclear program has peaceful purposes and that he is waiting for the end of the attacks to begin negotiations. Furthermore, he criticized the United States and Israel for carrying out the attacks despite ongoing nuclear negotiations and stated that the country will not build missiles capable of reaching the United States. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, speaks during a press conference in Istanbul, on June 22, 2025. Ozan Kose/AFP What is known about the attack by the US and Israel News agencies reported that missiles hit areas close to the presidential palace and facilities used by the supreme leader in Tehran, the capital of Iran. According to the Iranian state agency Fars, explosions were also heard in the cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, all in different regions of the country. Iranian airspace was closed. 40 students from a girls’ school in southern Iran died during the attack, according to Iranian agencies. Israeli army claims to have hit “hundreds of Iranian military targets”, including missile launchers. What is known about Iran’s retaliation In response, Iran launched missiles and drones into Israeli territory, where warning sirens were sounded. Several explosions were heard in other countries in the region, such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates – countries that have North American bases. In a statement, the United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted several Iranian missiles and that one person had died in the capital Abu Dhabi. An explosion was also heard in Dubai, according to witnesses.

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