Tehran/Washington: Hours after US President Donald Trump indicated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in US-Israel airstrikes, state-run agency IRNA has confirmed the death of the Ayatollah. Along with Khamenei, his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were also killed, reported state media.
Earlier, Iran had retaliated to the U.S. and Israeli attacks by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were strong indications that Khamenei “is no longer” and urged Iranians to “finish the job”.
He said Khamenei’s compound had been destroyed and that commanders of the Revolutionary Guard and senior nuclear officials were killed.
Meanwhile, the head of public relations at the Iranian Supreme Leader’s office accused the country’s enemies of “mental warfare” after Israeli reports said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed, according to Iranian state media.
“The enemy is resorting to mental warfare; all should be aware,” the public relations official was quoted as saying.
US forces striking Iran focused on locations “that posed an imminent threat,” including “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields,” US Central Command said in a statement Saturday.
Israel’s military say that that “dozens” of missiles have been fired by Iran at Israel. While many have been intercepted and no serious injuries have been reported, the missile barrages were continuing after sundown Saturday.
Across the Middle East, governments moved quickly to condemn Iran’s strikes on Arab neighbors, while staying silent on earlier Israeli and US attacks.
Countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, including Morocco, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, denounced Iranian strikes targeting US military bases, including in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the Emirates.
The European Union will hold an emergency security meeting on Monday over the conflict in the Middle East, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“For regional security and stability, it is of the utmost importance that there is no further escalation through Iran’s unjustified attacks on partners in the region,” she said on a Saturday in a social media post.
