According to the Iranian news agency Mehr on the first day, the Iranian government issued a statement regarding the death of Iran‘s top leader, Khamenei, saying, “We will certainly use all our strength and determination” to make the enemy “pay a painful price.” The statement announced that the country will mourn for 40 days, and public institutions will be suspended for 7 days.
The statement stated that “with the utmost sorrow” we announced that Khamenei had been martyred in the American and Israeli attacks, “this heinous crime will be severely punished” and “we will with all our strength and determination make the culprits and masterminds behind this heinous crime pay a grievous price.”
The statement said that the Iranian people would come together to overcome the difficulties.
Also, according to Iranian media reports on the first day, after the death of Iran‘s supreme leader Khamenei, the country will be led by Iran‘s President Pezer Hiziyan, the Minister of Justice, and a jurist from the Constitutional Oversight Committee.
Media reports Khamenei was attacked and killed while meeting with senior aides
According to Reuters, citing U.S. sources and officials, Israel and the U.S. chose to strike Iran on February 28 because at that time Iran‘s top leader, Khamenei, was meeting with his senior aides.
The report also quoted Iranian sources as saying that shortly before the attack began, Khamenei met with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Iranian Defense Council, and Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and advisor to the Supreme Leader, at “a safe location.”
Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani and Commander-in-Chief Mohammed Pakpur of the Army of Guardians of Islamic Revolution of Iran were reportedly killed in the attack.
Also, according to Iranian media reports on March 1, Khamenei “died at his post in the leader‘s office,” when he was performing his duties.
U.S. President Trump said on February 28 that the U.S. killed Khamenei in an air raid through “intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems,” coupled with close cooperation with Israel.
Reporter: Sadati Chen Xiao Guo Wendi Jia Xiaohua Hu You Song