Iran confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early on March 1. Khamenei, along with several members of his family, was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes carried out against sites across Iran on February 28. In addition to the Supreme Leader, over 200 Iranians have been killed, including several top officials and commanders, and hundreds have been injured. Iran has declared 40 days of national mourning and mass demonstrations have broken out in cities across the country against the US-Israeli strikes.
The assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei marks a significant turning point in the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, the latest phase of which began on February 28. This is not only because the air strikes were unprovoked and unilateral, taking place amid talks mediated by Oman, but also because the attacks were clearly aimed at decapitating the political leadership of the country.
In response to the news of Khamenei’s assassination, Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff declared that they will make “the enemies of this nation, especially the criminal America and the cursed Zionist regime” regret their actions. Similarly, the Iranian Army vowed in a statement that “this heinous crime will not go unanswered” and that they will continue to defend the country’s independence, territorial integrity, and political system. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to carry out “a different and harsh step of revenge” and not allow the alarm sirens to be silenced in “the occupied territories and American bases”.
Already on February 28, Iran’s response was significant. Missile attacks were launched against over 20 US military installations in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and against military and industrial targets in Israel. Israeli authorities have confirmed that over 20 people have been killed in the Iranian counter-strikes.
US President Donald Trump rejected the outrage expressed by Iranian authorities to the US and Israel’s provocative attacks. He threatened Iran in a message on social media, declaring: “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
As of the time of publication, the US has not launched further attacks. On the morning of March 1, Israel began to launch another round of strikes in the heart of Tehran.
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