The first salvo of a huge US and Israeli bombardment that continued into a second day Sunday murdered Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and a staunch opponent of the West, as the two nations attempt to overthrow the Islamic republic.
Khamenei’s death was reported by Iranian state television early on Sunday, only hours after President Donald Trump declared that the 86-year-old imam had been killed, calling him “one of the most evil people in History.”
As clouds of black smoke hung above the district where Khamenei typically resides, witnesses told AFP that cheers could be heard in Tehran’s streets following the initial news of his death from Israel.
The attack came weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly put down mass protests, killing thousands.
Loud explosions again pierced Tehran in the early hours, as Trump vowed no let-up in the strikes until the fall of the Islamic republic and urged security forces to stand down.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said in a statement.
In a same vein, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Iranians, “This is your time to join forces, to overthrow the regime and to secure your future.”
As explosions shook the showcase cities of Gulf Arab monarchies, Iran retaliated with a barrage of missile and drone strikes around the Middle East, killing at least two people in Abu Dhabi and another in Tel Aviv.
According to the Israeli army, General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of Iran’s formidable Revolutionary Guards, and Ali Shamkhani, a senior aide to Khamenei, were both slain.
Iranian media reported that Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were also slain.
One prominent survivor, Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, vowed defiance.
“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors,” he said.
