On Tuesday, March 17 Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin said the Israeli military will continue targeting anyone who poses a threat to Israel’s security, including Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
According to CNN, when asked whether Israel knows Mojtaba’s exact whereabouts, Defrin responded that it is currently unclear, but emphasized that operations will not stop.
“We will continue pursuing anyone who threatens Israel,” he said. “Anyone who dares to act against Israel will not be immune from our strikes. We will pursue him, find him, and eliminate him.”
Defrin also noted that Israeli forces will continue operations against members of Iran’s Basij forces, warning: “We will find every single one of them, no matter where they are or when they appear.”
Earlier the same day, the Israeli military announced it had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, a commander of the Basij forces.
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Israel has also suggested the conflict could become prolonged. Defrin said the Israeli military is preparing for “a prolonged war,” and military operations may continue through the upcoming Passover holiday. This year, Passover begins in early April and lasts eight days.
Report: Mojtaba escaped strike after ‘going for a walk’
Meanwhile, many questions remain regarding Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts and whether he is alive.
Britain’s The Telegraph reported that phone calls between Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol in Khamenei’s office, and senior clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) recorded what happened during the attack. The recording has reportedly been verified as authentic.
In the recording, Hosseini said Mojtaba had also been one of the targets of the strike. However, just minutes before the air raid, he had left his residence and gone into the courtyard for a walk. When the explosion occurred, he was about to return indoors and suffered only minor leg injuries.
The report said the attack took place at approximately 9:32 a.m. Tehran time on Feb. 28. Israel had launched “Blue Sparrow” ballistic missiles, which struck Khamenei’s residence.
The strike reportedly killed Khamenei and members of his family, along with several senior officials who were attending a meeting at the time, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
Mojtaba’s wife and children were also reportedly killed in the attack. His brother-in-law was said to have been beheaded, while Mohammad Shirazi, head of Khamenei’s military office, was described as having been “blown to pieces,” with authorities able to identify him only through remains.
However, Mojtaba’s current location remains unknown.
An Iranian official said on March 16 that the military command structure has “no information” about the new Supreme Leader’s situation. “None of the commanders have any news about him,” the official said.
At the same time, the U.S. intelligence community reportedly assessed that Khamenei did not support Mojtaba succeeding him before his death. CBS News cited sources saying Khamenei believed his son was “not smart enough” and did not have the qualifications to become Supreme Leader.
By Gao Yun
