Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Dead. Iran Confirms Leader's Death After Airstrikes

The official confirmation of Ali Khamenei's death ends a period of uncertainty regarding the fate of the country's most important figure following a series of strikes on key targets in Tehran. The attacks, conducted jointly by US and Israeli air forces, aimed to paralyze the decision-making centers of the Islamic Republic. According to media reports, close relatives of the ayatollah and high-ranking regime officials were also killed. Iranian state television broadcast a message about the loss of the "great leader," which became the signal to begin a 40-day national mourning period. Faced with a power vacuum at the helm of the state, the formation of an interim government was announced. It will be headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, supported by two high-ranking officials. Meanwhile, the Revolutionsgarden (IRGC) issued a statement pledging bloody revenge on the aggressors. The situation in the Middle East remains extremely tense, with experts warning of the risk of a conflict erupting on a regional or even global scale. Ali Khamenei held the position of Supreme Leader since 1989, when he succeeded the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini. His rule was characterized by a hardline stance towards the West and a pursuit of regional hegemony through support for the so-called Axis of Resistance. On the international stage, reactions are sharply divided. Donald Trump publicly celebrated the operation as a great success of his administration and Israel, while critics warn of inevitable chaos in the region. The figure who has begun actively vying for influence in the new reality is the son of Iran's last shah, Reza Pahlavi. He declared his readiness to lead an interim government and announced the immediate recognition of the State of Israel, which would constitute a complete reversal of Tehran's previous doctrine. The Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles and other Western cities took to the streets to celebrate the fall of a symbol of oppression. „Avec la mort de Khamenei, la République islamique d'Iran renvoyée dans les poubelles de l'Histoire.” (With the death of Khamenei, the Islamic Republic of Iran is consigned to the dustbin of History.) — Reza Pahlavi The world's attention is now focused on Iran's internal stability. Although the constitution provides for succession procedures, the leader's sudden death under conditions of foreign military intervention calls into question the durability of the entire power apparatus. The struggle for influence between reformist factions and the radical military wing could determine the country's fate for decades to come.