Tehran: Iranian state television announced on Sunday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed following a U.S.-Israeli bombardment. The broadcaster did not provide details about the circumstances of his death.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, state media reported that 40 days of public mourning have been declared in Iran. The Supreme National Security Council stated that Khamenei was killed at his office early on Saturday, marking what they termed as the beginning of a ‘great uprising against the tyrants of the world.’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to ‘decisively avenge’ the killing of Khamenei, emphasizing that ‘the hand of revenge of the Iranian people will not let go of the killers of the Imam.’ The IRGC described martyrdom in the path of Islam and ‘Greater Iran’ as representing victory and proximity to the ultimate goal.
The IRGC further declared that Khamenei’s path ‘will not stop after his martyrdom, but will continue with strength and grandeur.’ The statement called on all segments of society to participate in national defense gatherings to showcase unity and cohesion in the face of ‘the enemies of the nation and terrorists.’ It stressed that his killing would strengthen the nation’s resolve to continue what they described as Khamenei’s illuminating path.
In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday night, asserting that Khamenei was ‘dead.’