Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, emphasized in an official statement that Tehran considers it its "inalienable duty and right" to take retaliatory measures against those who organized and carried out the assassination of the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This was reported by France 24.
The head of the Iranian state noted that the death of Khamenei, a significant figure in the Shia world, is perceived as a declaration of war against all Muslims. Iranian authorities confirmed the information about Khamenei's death, which occurred on the night of March 1, as a result of an airstrike on his residence that took place on February 28.
According to The Wall Street Journal, during the attack, Israeli fighter jets dropped about 30 bombs on the target. The New York Times reports, citing its sources, that the timing of the strike was not accidental: the CIA received information about a secret meeting involving the country's top leaders and Khamenei himself.
Currently, a period of mourning has been declared in Iran, and the temporary powers of the Supreme Leader have been transferred to a collective governing body.
