Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday (local time) that the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes was a “declaration of war on Muslims”.
Pezeshkian’s statement on Khamenei’s death
AFP reported that the Iranian president went on to say that avenging the killing of Khamenei was the Islamic Republic’s right and duty. “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime,” he added.
In a statement released by Iranian state television, Pezeshkian said: “The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shiism throughout the world… is seen as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and especially against Shiites, everywhere in the world.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed in US and Israeli Strikes
Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was killed in strikes carried out by the US and Israel on Saturday, days after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran that “bad things” would happen if it did not strike a deal on the country’s nuclear program in the next 10 to 15 days.
Iran vows revenge after Khamenei’s death
According to an Al Jazeera report, Tehran’s security chief, Ari Larijani, issued a warning to Washington and Tel Aviv, adding that Iran will strike the US and Israel with force they have never seen before. In a post on X, he wrote: “Yesterday Iran fired missiles at the United States and Israel and they hurt. Today we will hit them with a force they have never experienced before.”
The security chief’s statement followed Trump’s warning against Tehran. In a post on social media, Trump wrote: “Iran just said they’re going to hit very hard today, harder than they’ve ever been hit,” adding that “but they better not because if they do, we’re going to hit them with a force they’ve never seen before!”
Hamas mourns Khamenei’s death
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was mourning Khamenei after he was killed in what the group called a “heinous” US-Israeli attack, Al Jazeera reported.
In a statement, the group said Khamenei had provided them with all forms of political, diplomatic and military support, adding that Arab and Muslim countries bear a “political, legal and historical responsibility to take immediate and decisive action”.
The US and Israel attacked Iran
The US and Israel launched a joint operation called “Operation Epic Fury” and “Operation Rising Lion” to target Iran’s military and naval forces, prompting Tehran to retaliate and strike Israel and US bases in Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s retaliation plunged the entire Middle East region into renewed military conflict, with loud explosions reported from cities such as Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama and others.
Israel announced earlier today that it had launched a new wave of strikes “in the heart of Tehran” after Iran unleashed attacks following Khamenei’s death, CNN reported.
