Top Iranian officials on Sunday pledged to avenge the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and announced plans for a new round of strikes on U.S. bases in the Gulf, defying threats from U.S. President Donald Trump of unprecedented military retaliation.
As large crowds gathered in Tehran, explosions were reported across the city, while the Israeli military confirmed fresh airstrikes in central Tehran. Additional blasts were also reported in Jerusalem, Riyadh, Dubai, Doha, and Manama.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei’s killing a “declaration of war against Muslims” and warned: “Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”
Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, declared: “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors.”
In a social media post that adopted Trump’s style and rhetoric, he warned: “Yesterday Iran fired misseles at the United States and Israel, and they did hurt. Today we will hit them with a force that they have never experience before.”