Following a massive opening salvo attack led by the US and Israel against Tehran, President Donald Trump announced early Sunday morning the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This comes after a senior Israeli official said that the leader’s body was found under rubble from a recent strike over the district where he usually resides.
The attack on the Islamic republic came just weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly shut down mass protests, which led to the deaths of thousands.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump said, following his announcement of Khamenei’s death.
Trump also said that continuous strikes would continue until the republic falls, urging security forces to stand down.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” the American president adds.
Meanwhile, Iran responded to Washington and Jerusalem’s attacks with a flurry of missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, leading to the death of at least one person in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and another in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the death of their supreme leader, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that Khamenei was alive “as far as he knows,” and ministry spokesperson Esmail Baquei stating that he was “not in a situation to confirm anything.”
Furthermore, Iranian authorities have warned citizens to evacuate the capital city of Tehran, populated by about 10 million inhabitants, with recent bombings nationwide resulting in at least 201 dead and more than 700 wounded, according to the country’s Red Crescent society.
Additionally, one strike hit a school in Iran’s southern region which killed 108 people, says the nation’s judiciary.
The attacks on Iran are the first military action of this scale aiming to topple a foreign government led by the United States since the 2003 invasion of neighbouring country Iraq.
Israel’s army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the operation was “taking place at a completely different scale” than the 12-day war it fought against Iran in June, which the US briefly joined.
Iran has also closed its airspace to civilian traffic, with fellow Middle Eastern countries Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel following suit as well.
Written by Francis Santos, Insight PH
Francis Santos, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
