The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Promises “Severe” Punishment and Announces It Will Soon Launch Actions Against Israel and US Military Bases
Iran has confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the joint attack launched by Israel and the United States on Saturday and has announced 40 days of official mourning in the Arab country, according to official media.
“With great sadness and sorrow, we inform you that, following the brutal attack by the criminal US government and the evil Zionist regime, (…) the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, His Holiness Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was martyred,” reads a statement from the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Khamenei died in his office at his residence while carrying out work duties, according to Iranian media, as a result of the bombings by Tel Aviv and Washington that struck the center of power in the Arab country on Saturday with the stated objective of forcing regime change in Iran.
The Iranian government has stated that this “great crime” will not go “unpunished” and has maintained that those responsible for Khamenei’s death will repent for their actions. “The pure blood of this distinguished leader will flow like a roaring spring and eradicate Zionist-American oppression and crime,” the statement concludes.
The authorities of the Arab country have expressed their condolences to “the noble Iranian nation” and, in addition to the 40 days of official mourning, have declared seven public holidays.
Similarly, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has vowed to exact “severe, decisive, and deplorable punishment upon the assassins” of the Ayatollah and has announced that they will begin “shortly” the “most ferocious” offensive against Israeli targets and US military bases.
“We invite all segments of society to demonstrate their national cohesion and unity to the world and to the evil and terrorist enemies of this nation through their passionate and epic presence in the realm of national defense,” they stated in a communiqué reported by Iranian media.
The Iranian Supreme Leader ascended to the pinnacle of the political system established in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, succeeding the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989, becoming the second and, until now, last person to hold this position.
In recent years, he maintained a hardline stance on international affairs, particularly regarding Tehran’s influence in the region, as well as domestically concerning the imposition of conservative policies on society, which has drawn criticism for the repression of dissidents and the mandatory wearing of the hijab.
Previously, US President Donald Trump had already announced the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” the White House occupant declared.
“This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but also for all great Americans and for those people in many countries around the world who have been killed or maimed by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs,” the US president stated in a message on social media.
According to Trump, the ayatollah “could not evade the sophisticated intelligence and tracking systems” in collaboration with Israel. “Neither he nor the other leaders who were killed alongside him could do anything,” he asserted regarding the operation that ended Khamenei’s life.
The United States and Israel launched a surprise offensive on Saturday with hundreds of airstrikes against “locations that posed an imminent threat,” with the military and nuclear sectors as the primary targets. Washington declared that the objective of the offensive is to “dismantle the regime’s security apparatus.”
Tehran was negotiating a nuclear agreement with the United States when the US, with Israel’s support, attacked Iran on Saturday. Iranian authorities have denounced the attack as a “criminal military aggression” that violates the principles of the UN Charter and have launched retaliatory attacks against US military bases in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar.
