ISTANBUL

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is still alive “as far as I know,” in an interview with NBC News.

“Almost all officials are safe and sound and alive. We may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem,” he said.

When asked about US President Donald Trump's pre-recorded remarks after the attacks, Araghchi labeled efforts of regime change as "Mission Impossible."

"You cannot do regime change while millions of people are supporting this so-called regime," he said, adding that Tehran is "certainly interested for de-escalation."

"Well, there is no communication right now. But if Americans want to talk to us, they know how."

Damage in Iran

Araghchi downplayed the damage caused by US/Israel strikes and highlighted a rapid military response, stating that they were able to start retaliation “in less than two hours.”

He also condemned an attack on a girls’ primary school in the city of Minab in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, where at least 40 were killed, stating: “This attack was unprovoked, illegal and absolutely illegitimate and against international law."

"I don't know why... why they decided to attack us, perhaps, you know, it was others who dragged the United States for their own benefits into this," the minister added.

Iranian missiles won’t reach US

When asked to confirm if Iran would build missiles designed to hit the US, Araghchi confirmed that Iranian missiles were intentionally limited in range and cannot hit the US mainland.

"No, no, we don't have those (with) that capability. We have intentionally kept the range of our missiles below 2,000 kilometers," he said.​​​​​​​

Araghchi emphasized that "Our missiles [are] only for deterrence and defense. They are not for aggression."

Ongoing strikes

On Saturday morning, Israel launched what it called a “preemptive” attack against Iran under the name “Lion’s Roar,” declaring a “special and immediate” state of emergency across the country.

Trump later said his forces launched “major combat operations” in Iran aimed at “protecting the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

The attacks come as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program had been ongoing under Oman’s mediation. A new round of talks in Geneva ended on Thursday.​​​​​​​