Iran's new leader refuses ceasefire: US and Israel must "beg for mercy."

According to Mars Finance, on March 17th, multiple sources reported that Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, at his first foreign policy meeting since taking office, rejected proposals for de-escalation conveyed through intermediaries. He stated that he would not consider a ceasefire or peace negotiations until the United States and Israel were "forced to yield, admit defeat, and pay reparations." The report states that the US-Israel military conflict against Iran has entered its third week, resulting in at least 2,000 deaths. Meanwhile, Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, leading to rising energy prices and exacerbating global inflation concerns. Other media reports claim that Mojtaba was injured in a previous airstrike and secretly sent to Moscow for treatment, but the Iranian ambassador to Russia has publicly denied this claim. Mojtaba was elected by religious authorities last week to succeed his father, the deceased former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He has not yet made a public appearance, and there remains much speculation regarding his health and actual governing ability.