– The supreme leader lived a pious life, loved Iran, ensured its independence, opposed foreign domination and worked tirelessly on the resilience and strength of our country – said the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– He will forever remain a living nightmare for his killers – they added.
The assassination of the supreme leader provoked a strong response from the Islamic Republic. Analysts warn that the latest escalation could plunge the Middle East into deeper instability and chaos. Born in 1939, Khamenei took over as Iran’s supreme leader in 1989 after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.
As Xinhua writes, for decades Khamenei led Iran in confrontation with Western countries, including the US, while the country endured long-term US sanctions.
On Saturday, following multiple military threats, the US and Israel launched massive strikes against Iranian military facilities and senior officials. US President Donald Trump said the goal was to “defend the American people by eliminating immediate threats” from Iran, while Israel’s Defense Ministry said the country had launched a “preemptive” strike to eliminate threats to Israel.
The Israeli military said about 200 fighter jets carried out a large-scale attack on western and central Iran, marking the largest military sortie in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
In Tehran, rockets hit areas near Khamenei’s office. After a series of contradictory statements from the Israeli, American and Iranian sides, Iran’s Nour News, affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council, announced the death of the Supreme Leader on Sunday morning.
Following the announcement of Khamenei’s death, the Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning. Scores of people took to the streets in various cities, expressing anger and calling for revenge.
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, promised harsh retaliation against the US and Israel.
The US-Israeli attacks prompted massive retaliation from Iran, with explosions and missile strikes reported in Israel, as well as in countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Following confirmation of Khamenei’s death, Iran’s regional allies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, expressed outrage at the US-Israeli attack, vowing to continue resistance.
Israel is also preparing to expand the front. The army said on Sunday it was preparing to call up 100,000 reservists to increase readiness along the borders with Syria and Lebanon, as well as in the West Bank, Gaza and southern Israel.
Analysts believe Khamenei’s death is likely to lead to significant shifts in regional geopolitical relations.
– Since the US and Israel crossed one of Iran’s red lines by killing the supreme leader, it gives Iran a reason to escalate the conflict and expand its goals – said Abu-Bakr Al-Desouky, an Egyptian expert on Gulf affairs and Iranian politics.
Adnan Bourji, director of the Lebanese National Center, agreed that “the war is still in its early stages and so far there are no clear signs that it will end soon.”
– What the US and Israel are doing only encourages chaos, deepens hatred and the feeling of revenge in the region. This will do nothing good for Israel and America; it will only push the region into even greater turmoil – said Syrian political analyst Maher Ihsan.
The outbreak of war, along with Khamenei’s death, “marks a fundamental rupture in the regional order,” said Mohammed Zakaria Aboudahab, a political science professor at Mohammed V University in Morocco.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
