Mojtaba Khamenei Demands Guarantees to End Fighting

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has told Mohsen Rezaei that Tehran's rights and interests must be guaranteed before it ends the fighting and moves beyond a state of "neither war nor peace," the Supreme Leader's office said. The meeting came a day after Rezaei hosted senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in Tehran. Iran said those talks would take up what it calls "Israeli expansion."

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the Tehran meeting would also address developments in areas bordering Lebanon. He called the gathering a possible first step toward regional security built on cooperation among the region's own countries. Baghaei also said the outcome of Israel's election "doesn't matter" to Tehran, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The talks took place one day before Israelis were due to vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Iran and its proxies not to use attacks to disrupt the election. "Do not test us," he said.

Also on Monday, Khamenei called for a "deep and rapid" acceleration of scientific and technological progress, with emphasis on nuclear technology and military capabilities. The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency carried his remarks. "The experience of the two recent wars has demonstrated to everyone that this new scientific surge must be deep and rapid," Khamenei said.

On Tuesday, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said he had met the Supreme Leader and found him in good health. "We discussed issues related to the war, the axis of resistance, negotiations, the economic isolation and the naval blockade," Ghalibaf said.