Ali Larijani, secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council and a leading contender to succeed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, voiced a willingness to resist the United States.
On the 2nd (local time), Larijani retweeted a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on X (formerly Twitter) saying Iran is attempting negotiations with the United States through mediation by Oman, and said, "We will not negotiate with the United States."
Larijani is the person who holds overarching authority over Iran's military and security. According to the New York Times (NYT), on the 28th of last month, before the airstrikes, Larijani was delegated state management duties by Khamenei. He too was reportedly placed on the target list for U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
In another post, he criticized, "Trump's delusional fantasies have plunged this region into chaos." Before the latest airstrikes, the United States and Iran held multiple rounds of talks over the nuclear program, missile systems, and support for regional proxies but failed to find common ground.
In a media interview that day, President Trump said he "doesn't know" about the possibility of returning to a diplomatic solution and said Iran currently has not met U.S. demands. On how long strikes on Iran would continue, he said, "It's a big country, so about four weeks, or it could take less."