Iran has activated a process to form an interim leadership council to oversee affairs of the country after its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday.
Khamenei was reportedly killed along with several top security officials.
Reports said members of Khamenei’s family, including his daughter, son-in-law and grandson, were also killed in the attacks.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged revenge, announcing strikes on 27 bases hosting US troops across the Middle East and on Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv.
Interim Council to Govern as Casualties Mount Across Provinces
Iran’s government said an interim leadership council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, would oversee state affairs until a new supreme leader is elected.
State media reported that at least 201 people were killed in strikes across 24 provinces.
RELATED NEWS:
- Oil Falls as Trump Eases Iran Tensions, Tech Stocks Lift Global Markets
- Oil Prices Jump 1.7% Amid Iran Unrest, Supply Disruption Concerns
Iran Warns U.S. of Retaliation as Washington Withdraws Personnel from Middle East Bases
US President Donald Trump said the bombing of Iran would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary” to achieve US objectives.
Regional Escalation Triggers Airspace Closures and Protests
Iran’s retaliatory strikes targeted Israeli and US assets in several countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, prompting multiple states in the region to shut their airspace.
Earlier updates also confirmed the deaths of senior adviser Ali Shamkhani and IRGC commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour.
President Pezeshkian condemned Khamenei’s killing as “a great crime” and vowed a response.
In Iraq, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr declared three days of mourning, while protests erupted in Baghdad, where demonstrators clashed with security forces in the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses key government institutions and foreign embassies.
The IRGC said it had launched a sixth wave of strikes on US military installations in retaliation for the joint bombardment, as Qatari authorities reported additional injuries from the Iranian attacks, bringing the total number of casualties there to 16.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
