March 1 (GeokHub) — Iran has declared that it will avenge the death of its longtime Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after he was reportedly killed in a joint military operation by the United States and Israel. Iranian officials described his killing as both a severe crime and a direct affront to the Muslim world, and they pledged to respond forcefully.
Tehran Calls Killing a “Declaration of War”
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated in a broadcast speech that the attack — and the killing of the 86-year-old cleric — was a “legitimate duty and right” to avenge, and called it a declaration of war against Muslims, especially Shiites. He said Iran would devote all its strength to fulfilling this obligation and bring consequences for those responsible.
Pezeshkian also framed the killing as an assault on the Islamic Republic’s sovereignty and on Muslim identity, promising that Iran’s response would be decisive and historic.
Revolutionary Guards Promise Heavy Retaliation
Iran’s powerful military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), echoed those vows, warning that those behind Khamenei’s death would face “the fiercest response in history.” The Guards claimed to have already launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets across the region and said further operations could begin “at any moment,” targeting bases and cities linked to Washington and Tel Aviv.
Escalation Already Underway
Iran has already fired missiles and drones toward multiple U.S. and Israeli assets in the Middle East, according to Iranian reports — part of what Tehran calls retaliatory strikes. State and semi-official media claimed dozens of bases hosting American forces and Israeli command centers were hit, though independent verification of all strikes was not available.
