Tehran, MINA – In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Iran has confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, along with two other senior officials in the joint US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28. In the wake of the strikes, Iranian authorities have announced the formation of a Leadership Council as mandated by the constitution and have vowed an unprecedented retaliatory operation.
Iranian state television reported that Sayyed Ali Khamenei was killed at his workplace, the “Leadership House,” while carrying out his duties during the attacks early Saturday morning.
The report emphasized that he remained on the frontlines of responsibility among his people, refuting claims that he was in a secure, undisclosed location.
Confirming the immense scale of the loss, Iranian state media also reported the martyrdom of two other key figures in the same aggression: Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Major General Mohammad Pakpour, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
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Following these announcements, a senior Iranian official, Larijani, addressed the nation, stating that according to the constitution, a Leadership Council has been formed to assume the responsibilities of the Leader until a successor is chosen.
Larijani declared that the enemy had made a “grave mistake” by assassinating the Leader, an act that has galvanized the Iranian people. He further asserted that the Iranian people would navigate this historic turning point with determination, emphasizing that Sayyed Khamenei himself had insisted on continuing his life normally without exceptional measures.
The office of the Islamic Republic’s president released a statement vowing that the assassination “will never go unanswered,” promising to force those who organized and carried out the crime to “repent.”
In a strongly worded threat, the IRGC vowed immediate retaliation for the martyrdom of its commander and the Supreme Leader. The Guard announced that “in a few moments, the most brutal offensive operation in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel and American terrorist bases will begin.”
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These developments follow the initial joint US-Israeli military operation on February 28, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed was necessary to eliminate an “existential threat” and reshape the region’s strategic landscape.
That operation triggered retaliatory missile launches from Iran toward “Israel,” with impacts reported in Tel Aviv and other areas, and explosions across several Gulf states hosting US military bases. The escalating conflict has led to widespread airspace closures and a spiraling confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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