Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei He was killed in a major attack on Iran by Israel and the United States, shedding light on the future Islamic Republic Which raises doubts and increases the risk of regional instability.
Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early Sunday. American President Donald Trump He had announced his death hours earlier, saying it gave Iranians the “greatest opportunity” to “reclaim” their country.
These announcements came after a joint American and Israeli air strike targeted Iranian military and government sites. Trump said The “intensive and targeted bombardment” was to continue throughout the week or as long as necessary.
The strikes opened a stunning new chapter in US intervention in Iran, marking the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the country during talks over its nuclear program. It seemed certain that Khamenei’s killing after decades in power would create a major leadership vacuum given the lack of a known successor and the Supreme Leader having the final say on all major policies.
On Sunday, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israel and US bases.
Here is the latest:
The Iranian Parliament Speaker on Sunday described the leaders of the United States and Israel as “dirty criminals” who will face “devastating blows” due to their continued attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf made the comment in a televised speech.
Ghalibaf is the highest-ranking official to appear on camera since the attacks began on Saturday.
“You have crossed our red line and you must pay the price,” he said. “We will deal you devastating blows that will drive you to begging.”
President Javier Miley praised the joint operation carried out by the United States and Israel that resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he described as “one of the most evil, violent and cruel individuals in modern history.”
In his statement, Miley also referred to the 1994 attack on the Argentine Jewish Community Center, known as AMIA, in Buenos Aires. The bombing killed 85 people and injured hundreds, representing one of the bloodiest attacks in the country’s history.
The President reiterated that seeking justice for the victims of the AMIA bombing remains the policy of the state. “We will continue until the last official pays with his freedom or his life for this horrific crime,” Miley said.
A Chinese organization is registering Chinese citizens in Iran for evacuation to neighboring countries, according to a media report.
Tan Kai, head of the Iranian Federation of Chinese Organizations, told the Global Times that more than 200 Chinese are spread across Iran. Tan said the group was making preparations for the evacuation based on instructions from the Chinese embassy.
A statement from the embassy said that the land borders with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey are open to individuals wishing to leave on their own.
In Israel, the Chinese embassy advised citizens to move to safe areas away from the centers of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, airports, power stations, and similar sites. She said that on Sunday she will begin registering citizens who want to evacuate to Egypt and cannot do so alone.
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the chief security adviser to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed in US-Israeli air strikes on the country, state media reported Sunday.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) announced the death of Major General Mohammad Pakpour, who took over as commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards after Israel killed its former commander in the 12-day June war.
Ali Shamkhani, who was a prominent figure in Iran’s security establishment, was also killed, the agency said. Shamkhani was wounded in the June war.
A council was formed to govern Iran after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This council is stipulated in the law of the Islamic Republic. It consists of the current Iranian president, the head of the country’s judiciary, and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, which advises the Supreme Leader and settles disputes with Parliament.
The reformist Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the head of the hard-line judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eji, are involved in this case.
Iranian law stipulates that “the Assembly of Experts must, as soon as possible, choose a new supreme leader.”