Iran's foreign minister has blamed a persistent security breach for the February strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior commanders, saying Israel and the United States had advance knowledge of leadership meetings on the first day of the 40-day war. Abbas Araghchi said the intelligence ministry's deputies were also targeted in a simultaneous strike on Feb. 28, 2026, and warned that the infiltration likely still exists.
Araghchi said Iran had planned before the war to close the Strait of Hormuz if its leadership was targeted, and notified regional foreign ministries it would strike U.S. military bases once Khamenei's death was confirmed. He added that Ali Shamkhani and Ali Larijani, who successively headed Iran's six-member negotiation committee, were both killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Tehran rejected pre-war demands for zero enrichment, and refused again after a 12-day conflict when opponents renewed the demand. Araghchi said Geneva talks collapsed on Feb. 26 over the same issue. He has not met successor Mojtaba Khamenei since his March appointment.