Iran threatens 'most destructive' retaliation after Khamenei's death

Iran’s state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint Israel–US strike. The attacks, which began on Saturday, February 28, also left several other senior Iranian officials dead.

Israel has claimed that Iran’s defence minister and the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, were also killed in the strikes. A live report by BBC said at least 40 top Iranian officials were killed in the joint operation.

Following Khamenei’s death, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement announcing what it described as the most destructive offensive operation in Iran’s history. It said the strikes would begin very soon and would target occupied territories and US military bases.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has declared that the operation will continue until there is a change of government in Iran. Israel has named the military campaign ‘Lion’s Roar’.