Araghchi says security lapse enabled attack on Khamenei office, Hormuz closure plan in place

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the February 28 attack that targeted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's office and killed him along with family members and military officials was carried out due to a security gap that remains unaddressed. Speaking on a program, Araghchi said the lapse has affected domestic decision-making. He added that wartime scenarios prepared from the first day of the conflict included closing the Strait of Hormuz if Khamenei were targeted, and that a decision was made to resume talks with the United States while Iran remained certain the war would restart, framing the move as a step to document Tehran's position. Araghchi said state institutions and the armed forces continued preparations independently of negotiation outcomes, and that a military response was delivered two hours after the war began. He defended the decision to accept a ceasefire during the 12-day war, arguing it gave Iran time to expand its military capacity. He also said that during the eight-month interval between the two wars, changes were made to missile launchers to improve their survivability. No further details were immediately available.