Khamenei's adviser to CNN: we are ready for a long war

Iran is prepared for a long war with the United States, and the only way to end it is through mounting economic pressure that forces the US to end its intervention, Kamal Charazi, a foreign policy adviser in the office of Iran's supreme leader, told CNN on Monday.

In an interview with a CNN correspondent in Tehran – who is in Iran with the permission of the authorities – Charazi ruled out the possibility of a diplomatic solution at this stage.

– I don't see any room for diplomacy anymore. Donald Trump deceived others and did not keep his promises – we experienced this during two rounds of negotiations when we were attacked during the talks, he said.

The senior official noted that Tehran's strategy is based on the escalation of the economic consequences of the war, which is intended to encourage third countries – including the Persian Gulf countries – to put pressure on Washington.

– This war is causing enormous economic pressure on others – inflation, lack of energy. If it continues, this pressure will increase and other countries will have no choice but to intervene, Charazi said.

Since the beginning of the US-Israeli operation, Iran has attacked a number of countries in the region, claiming that it is attacking American interests in the Gulf states. The price of WTI crude oil exceeded $100 per barrel on Monday. Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz almost completely stopped. According to data from Rapidan Energy Group, approximately 20 percent was disrupted. global oil supplies – twice as much as during the Suez crisis in 1956–1957.

Charazi also announced that the new leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, will continue the policy of his father, who was killed on the first day of the war.

– Just as Ayatollah Khamenei directed Iran's defense capabilities, a new leader will now do so, he said. To the remark that President Trump called the nomination “unacceptable,” Charazi responded curtly: “It's none of his business.”

Media: Trump may support killing Khamenei if he does not give in to American demands

US President Donald Trump allegedly told advisers that he may support the killing of Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, if he is not willing to give in to US demands, such as ending its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The newspaper reported, citing current and former government officials, that Israel would probably carry out an operation aimed at overthrowing Iran's new leader. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, asked on Monday by CNN whether Khamenei was targeting Israel, replied: – You'll have to wait and see.

Iran's current leader is seen in Washington as the hard-line successor to his father, who was chosen by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), current and former U.S. officials say. The sources do not expect Khamenei to give up Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons or to negotiate an end to the conflict on terms favorable to the US.

The White House did not comment on the WSJ reports. Earlier on Monday, Trump, in a conversation with other media, expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment of Khamenei as the new leader of Iran.

– I think they made a big mistake. I don't know if it will last. “I think they made a mistake,” he said in an interview with NBC News. In an interview with the New York Post, he did not reveal what his plans were for the new leader of Iran. – I won't tell. I am not satisfied with it, said the president.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, replaced his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli attack. Mojtaba Khamenei is known for his close, decades-long ties to the IRGC, also known as the Revolutionary Guard. For years, he was a key link between his father and the command of this formation.

Last week, Trump told Axios that he must be personally involved in selecting Iran's new leader, just as he was in the case of Venezuela. The American president then admitted that Modjtaba Khamenei would most likely take over from his father, but he then stated that this was unacceptable to him.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska, Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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