Khamenei is still alive: Iranian foreign minister

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."

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.

US President Donald 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.