Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has spoken publicly for the first time since the war broke out between Iran, the United States, and Israel, according to report by DAILY POST on Thursday March 12 2026.
The conflict began on February 28, when U.S. forces, working with Israel, carried out airstrikes on Iran. Those strikes killed Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials.
In response, Iran launched waves of drone and missile strikes targeting American interests across neighboring countries. These attacks have already claimed the lives of at least seven U.S. military personnel, while more than 100 others have been injured.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran was not the one to start the war. He argued that the United States walked away from negotiations and chose military action instead.
He also stressed that the conflict should not be seen as a war between nations, but rather as a personal confrontation involving U.S. President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister against Iran.
Khamenei warned that both leaders would eventually realize they had made a serious mistake by attacking Iran.
According to the new Supreme Leader, “We didn’t start this war. The United States did. We were at the table of negotiation but they left the negotiation table.”