Confirmation of the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneihad repercussions this Sunday (1st) among allies and adversaries of the Persian country, as well as political groups in the Middle East and international organizations. Khamenei and other Iranian officials were among those killed in the bombings started on Saturday (28) by the United States and Israel.
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned this Sunday (1st) the murders of Khamenei, 86, and members of his family. Putin called it “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”
“Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman, who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly relations between Russia and Iran, raising them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Russian president on the X social network.
The Kremlin expressed condolences to the family and friends of the supreme leader, the government of Iran and all the people of the Persian country.
China
The Chinese government said, also on its profile on the social network
“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this act. We demand an immediate halt to military operations, an end to the escalation of tension, and a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East and the world at large.”
Israel and USA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the magnitude of the ongoing operations against Iran and signaled that Israel’s firepower will be directed toward dismantling the Iranian government’s infrastructure.
“In the coming days, we will attack thousands of targets of the terrorist regime”, stated the prime minister, justifying that the military action aims not only at strategic defense, but at creating a new political scenario in the region. “We will create the conditions for the brave people of Iran to free themselves from the chains of tyranny.”
Netanyahu urged Iranians to take advantage of the power vacuum generated by the attacks to overthrow the clerical system that has governed the country since 1979.
“The time has come for you to take to the streets, take to the streets in your millions to finish the job, to overthrow the regime of terror that has made your lives miserable. Your suffering and sacrifice will not be in vain. The help you have been waiting for has arrived. Now it is time for us to come together for a historic mission.”
Faced with threats of retaliation from Iran, United States President Donald Trump said the country would expand the attacks.
“They better not do this, because if they do, we will hit them with force never seen before,” Trump said.
Smoke covers Iran’s capital, Tehran, after explosions caused by US bombings and Isarel Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Middle Eastern groups
The Shiite Islamic group Hezbollah, Hamas [Movimento de Resistência Islâmica]Islamic Jihad and the Yemeni Huthis movement condemned Khamenei’s death and swore revenge, according to information from the RTP news agency.
Hamas classified the attack that killed the Ayatollah of Iran, who supported the Palestinian Islamist movement, as a “heinous crime”.
Hezbollah promised to confront Israeli and American aggression against Khamenei, according to a statement from the leader of the Lebanese pro-Iranian movement, Naim Qassem.
“We will fulfill our duty by facing aggression,” assured the head of Hezbollah in the statement, adding that “whatever the sacrifices, we will not abandon […] the field of resistance.”
The armed group Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas during the two-year war against Israel in the Gaza Strip, classified Ali Khamenei’s death as a “war crime” committed by the United States and Israel, in a “treacherous and malicious attack”.
The Huthis called the slain Iranian political and religious figure a martyr and said Ali Khamenei’s legacy will inspire “continued resistance against the United States and Israel.” For them, the attack was an “atrocious crime” and a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”
“With deep regret and pain, the Supreme Political Council [dos huthis] received news of the martyrdom of the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He waged a long jihad struggle [guerra santa] against the enemies of the Islamic nation, the Zionists and the Americans, and concluded his life with martyrdom at the hands of the enemies of God and killers of prophets”, he declared.
Iran
Iran announced, this Sunday, the Temporary Leadership Council, which immediately assumes the responsibilities of the supreme leadersuch as command of the Armed Forces, in addition to security and foreign policy decisions.
The announcement aims to guarantee the continuity and stability of the regime during the crisis. The council is made up of three authorities: the current president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian; the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei; and the jurist of the Council of Guardians, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.
The functions are provisional until the Assembly of Specialists, with 88 clerics, elects a permanent successor.
The president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated this Sunday (1st) that the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei is a “declaration of war against Muslims” and spoke of “legitimate revenge” against the United States and Israel.
Brazil
The Brazilian government has not yet commented on the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the time of writing this report. On Saturday (28), in a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) declared that the Brazilian government has deep concerns with the escalation of hostilities in the Gulf region, which represents a serious threat to international peace and security, with potential far-reaching humanitarian and economic impacts.
Brazil also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan – targets of retaliatory attacks by Iran, this Saturday (28).
Vatican
Pope Leo XIV called this Sunday for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle Eastfollowing attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, which responded with air strikes.
“I follow with deep concern everything that is happening in the Middle East and in Iran in these dramatic hours. Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with weapons that sow destruction, pain and death,” said the American pope.
International Organizations
The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, condemned the use of forcestating that the military escalation represents a “grave threat to international peace and security.” He called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council and called for an immediate end to hostilities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the situation “deeply worrying”. The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, called for “maximum restraint” and reinforced the commitment to regional stability.
Through the World Health Organization (WHO), the director-general, Tedros Adhanom, expressed concern about the serious risks to people’s health, arising from the conflict spreading across the Middle East. “Peace, as always, is the best medicine.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it closely monitors facilities during developments in the Middle East and demands restraint to avoid any risks to nuclear safety for people in the region.
“The IAEA maintains permanent contact with countries in the region and, to date, there is no evidence of any radiological impact. The Agency will continue to monitor the situation”, he reported.
*With information from RTP.
