On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, labeling it a “cynical violation of all norms of humanitarian morality and international law.”
Putin extended his sympathies to Iran, stating that Khamenei would be remembered as an “outstanding statesman” who played a significant role in enhancing Russian-Iranian relations, according to reports from the Associated Press.
In Lebanon, Naim Qasem, a leader of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, also expressed sorrow over Khamenei’s death, attributing it to a US and Israeli strike.
He hinted at possible retaliation, asserting, “We will fulfill our duty to stand up to aggression,” emphasizing that Hezbollah would remain committed to resisting the “tyranny” of the US and Israel.
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that an airstrike had taken the lives of 40 high-ranking Iranian military officials, including military chief of staff Abdulrahim Mousavi. Neither Iran nor the United States has provided immediate comments on these reports.
This news follows statements from US President Donald Trump, who indicated on Saturday that Khamenei was killed in a coordinated Israeli-US operation, as reported by Breitbart News.
In a post shared on “Society of Truth,” President Trump described the turn of events as “the Iranian people’s greatest chance to take back their homeland.”
His comments surfaced after multiple reports noted the death of the 86-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989.
“One of the most evil figures in history, Ayatollah Khamenei, has passed away,” Trump stated. “This is justice not only for the Iranian people, but for all great Americans and the people of many countries around the world who were murdered and mutilated by Khamenei and his band of bloodthirsty thugs.”
“There was nothing he or the other leaders who died with him could do because he could not evade our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems and was closely aligned with Israel,” Trump added.
