Iran blasts US CENTCOM reference to 'overwhelming force', urges diplomacy
Iran's mission to the United Nations on Wednesday criticized the commander of US Central Command for mooting a potential attack on Iran the previous day.
Asked by congressman on Tuesday whether the military would use "overwhelming force" if Tehran does not permanently renounce its nuclear ambitions, Lieutenant General Michael Kurilla responded, "Yes."
"Threats of 'overwhelming force' won’t change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability," the mission wrote on X.
"CENTCOM’s legacy of fueling regional instability, through arming aggressors and enabling Israeli crimes, strips it of any credibility to speak on peace or non-proliferation. Diplomacy—not militarism—is the only path forward."
The European Union "remains gravely concerned by Iran’s protracted failure to sufficiently cooperate with the Agency in resolving long outstanding safeguards issues and that the Agency remains unable to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," it said on Wednesday.
"It is deeply regrettable that, despite five Board resolutions and many reasonable opportunities provided over the past six years, Iran has not fulfilled its legal obligation to clarify the outstanding issues regarding undeclared nuclear material or facilities," the EU's mission told the UN nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors.
"Iran repeatedly either failed to respond to or provide technically credible answers to the Agency’s questions," it added, "while pursuing activities consistent with concealment efforts, including extensive sanitization and the provision of inaccurate explanations."
"This has impeded the Agency’s verification activities and obstructed the effective implementation of safeguards."
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned European powers against a resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog drafted by the United States as well as the so-called E3 powers Britain, France and Germany which is due later on Wednesday.
"The E3 have had SEVEN YEARS to implement their JCPOA commitments. They have utterly failed, either by design or ineptitude," Araghchi wrote on X, referring to a 2015 international nuclear deal.
"Instead of displaying remorse or a desire to facilitate diplomacy, the E3 is today promoting confrontation through the absurd demand that Iran must be punished for exercising its right under the JCPOA to respond to non-performance by counterparts."
"Another major strategic mistake by the E3 will compel Iran to react STRONGLY," Araghchi added. "Blame will lie solely and FULLY with malign actors who shatter their own relevance."
The resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due to be introduced within hours.
Araghchi did not make any mention of the United States, possibly reflecting caution as delicate nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington continue.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday that signs pointed to Iran potentially seeking a nuclear weapon.
Hegseth was asked by US Senator Lindsay Graham, "Mr. Secretary, have the Iranians been trying to build a nuke?"
"There are plenty of indications that they have been moving their way towards something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon," Hegseth replied, without elaborating.
Graham later added, "Is there a whole lot of difference between a nuclear weapon in the hands of al Qaeda and the Ayatollah in Iran? I don't think so. They just have a different religious reason to do it."
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday that Iran appeared to be pursuing a potential nuclear weapon.
Hegseth was asked by Senator Lindsay Graham, "Mr. Secretary, have the Iranians been trying to build a nuke?"
"There are plenty of indications that they have been moving their way towards something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon," he replied.
Graham later added: "Is there a whole lot of difference between a nuclear weapon in the hands of al Qaeda and the Ayatollah in Iran? I don't think so. They just have a different religious reason to do it."
Faezeh Hashemi, a prominent critic of Iran’s ruling system and daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, has stunned many by saying she would prefer Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader—if there must be one after his father.
“If a leader is to be chosen after Mr. Khamenei, which will be the case because that’s the law now, I would personally prefer it to be Mojtaba,” she said in a YouTube interview with Abdi Media.
Though she acknowledged his lack of public legitimacy, Hashemi argued that Mojtaba is young, potentially flexible, and better placed than others to push reforms—drawing comparisons to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and his top-down modernization drive.
The idea of Mojtaba succeeding his father has long circulated in conservative circles, often raised by hardliners or figures close to the security apparatus. But hearing it from Hashemi—who is outspokenly secular, reformist, and opposed to clerical rule—has taken many by surprise, triggering fierce debate across the political spectrum.
When asked to choose between Mojtaba Khamenei and exiled prince Reza Pahlavi as a future leader, she declined, saying that decision belongs to the Iranian people and that she advocates a secular government and social democracy.
Her refusal to endorse Pahlavi sparked backlash from some of his supporters on social media, who accused Hashemi of drawing false equivalence between the clerical establishment and the monarchy.
The obscure ‘heir’
Mojtaba Khamenei remains an elusive figure to most Iranians. He has never occupied a formal political role, and little is publicly known about his views.
In September 2024, he unexpectedly suspended his online khārij (advanced jurisprudence) classes, ending a 13-year teaching stint attended by a few hundred students. He claimed the decision had no political motive and said he had not informed his father in advance, but the move nonetheless fueled speculation about his future ambitions.
On the streets, opposition to hereditary succession has been vocal and sustained. Protesters have repeatedly chanted slogans such as “Mojtaba, may you die before becoming Leader,” turning his name into a symbol of unease over dynastic power in a system that claims to reject monarchy.
Still, the idea of him succeeding his 86-year-old father is floated by Tehran’s commentariat from time to time, with frequent references to Mohammed bin Salman.
One vocal advocate of the idea is Abdolreza Davari, a former adviser to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly called for an “authoritarian development model” centered on Khamenei’s son.
In interviews and social media posts, Davari has argued that such a model could bridge Iran’s generational divide, revive the economy, and offer limited social liberalization without upending the political order.
But the vision he outlines is deeply polarizing—and widely seen as implausible by critics.
“Is it really possible for someone who has never given a speech, never held public office, and is largely unknown to suddenly become the leader of a nation?” one user, @Mhd1889, posted in response to Davari.
