Iran’s New Supreme Leader (Sort Of) Speaks Out
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2026
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, gave his first statement pledging to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
This was delivered not by Khamenei himself, but by a newsreader on Iranian state TV speaking over a photo of him, sparking further speculation as to his health and whereabouts.
Alex and James are joined by Jane Corbin, Panorama film maker, and Baran Abbasi, reporter and presenter for BBC Persian, to discuss what to make of the new Supreme Leader’s statement.
Plus, diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, joins Alex and James from Kyiv to analyse what the US-Israeli war with Iran means for the war in Ukraine and how President Zelensky and President Putin have responded.
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Transcript
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| 0:23.9 | Hello, and a massive thank you for sending in all of your questions about the US-Israeli |
| 0:29.0 | war with Iran. |
| 0:30.3 | One of those questions we wanted to put to James Landale, who was currently in Kiev, and |
| 0:35.2 | you're going to hear his answer in the second half of today's |
| 0:38.0 | newscast. Yeah, but just as we were sitting down to actually speak to James, we've got reports |
| 0:41.8 | that the new Supreme Leader in Iran, Mosh Tabah Khamenei, was going to issue his first statement, |
| 0:47.8 | and he did, but it's possibly left us with more questions than answers. So that is what |
| 0:53.3 | we're going to talk about on this |
| 0:54.5 | episode of Newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the classroom doing our |
| 1:00.5 | violin lessons. I was the tappletail in the class. Can I have an apology, please? I trust |
| 1:04.6 | almost nobody. Then daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. |
| 1:10.0 | I feel delulu with no salulu. Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Alex in the Westminster studio. And it's James in the newscast studio. And to help us unpack this first statement we've had from the new supreme leader of Iran Murshtaba Khamane |
| 1:27.6 | is Jane Corbin. Welcome back. Hello Jane. Thank you James. Good to be back. Absolutely. And |
| 1:33.4 | Baran Abasi is reporter and presenter from BBC Persian and Baran is with us here as well. Hello. Hello. |
| 1:39.2 | Hello. So, Baran, I just want to get a sense first of what your initial reaction was when we heard that a statement was coming from the new Supreme Leader, |
| 1:48.0 | because we were hearing from one of your colleagues from BBC Persian, Siavash, earlier in the week on newscast, |
... |
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