Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed on Friday that he was inside the office of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei when it was attacked in Tehran on February 28 during the first wave of US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East conflict.He said he climbed out of the “rubble” out of fear for the fate of Khamenei, whose death was confirmed by Iran on March 1.“At the time of his (Khamenei’s) martyrdom, I was in the office that was attacked. My first thought and my first concern was the situation of the leader,” Araghchi told Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television, as quoted by Iran’s Press TV.The Islamic Republic’s top diplomat further stated that he spent two days “uncertain” about Khamenei’s fate while overseeing the evacuation efforts, adding that despite repeated advice to transfer, Khamenei had refused.Araghchi quoted Khamenei as saying, “I will not go to shelter or to a safe place until every member of the Iranian people has access to a safe place… Whatever happens to my people will happen to me too.”Araghchi also pointed to Tehran’s prior warnings to Gulf states that the use of US military bases against Iran would invite retaliation.He criticized the American “security umbrella”, saying, “If these American bases did not exist in Iran’s neighboring countries, they would not be vulnerable to retaliation.”He said regional governments protested such use of their territory, but Washington “proceeded regardless.”He argued that Iran’s response unnerved its “adversaries”, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Despite the scale of the attack, no one expected Iran’s immediate and powerful retaliation,” he said.On leadership, Araghchi stressed that Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei now has full authority. “Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei has a highly influential and strong presence in the current affairs of the country and has complete control over the reins of power,” he said.Amid reports about Mojtaba’s condition and whereabouts, he described national consensus as a source of “strength”, adding that communication with the new supreme leader remains constant and instructions are implemented without interruption.He said, “The same level of obedience and loyalty shown to the martyred leader is fully maintained towards the new leader of the Islamic Revolution.”The US-Iran war has been stalled since April, when Trump declared a ceasefire. However, sporadic attacks, stalled talks and deep mistrust between the two sides threaten to derail the arrangement, making the ceasefire remain fragile.(With ANI inputs)