Tehran, March 1: An interim leadership council has been established in Iran to manage state affairs following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking security officials in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian state media confirmed the deaths on Sunday, declaring a period of national mourning across the country.
The new council, which includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, will oversee the government until a successor is elected according to constitutional mandates. Reports indicates that at least 201 individuals were killed in strikes spanning 24 provinces. While Israeli officials had claimed the location of Khamenei’s body on Saturday, official confirmation from Tehran was withheld until today.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that it has already initiated “severe revenge” by targeting 27 bases housing U.S. troops and several Israeli military sites in Tel Aviv. Explosions were noted in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and eastern Riyadh, prompting multiple regional governments to close their airspace.
U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned the Iranian government against further escalatory actions. “If Iran hits very hard today, it will be hit with a force that has never been seen before,” the President asserted, maintaining that Washington is fully prepared to respond to any further aggression.
In Shiraz, large crowds of mourners gathered to protest the killing, with state media broadcasting images of citizens carrying portraits of the late leader. Despite the civil unrest, the Iranian government maintained that the transition of power would follow legal protocols. Regional officials affirmed that the ongoing exchange of fire has significantly disrupted commercial aviation across the Middle East.
