Iran announces 40 days of mourning after Khamenei death

rte.ie · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, state media confirmed, after the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran. Iranian state television announced a 40-day mourning period and seven public holidays following the death of the Iranian leader, who had been in power since 1989. "With the martyrdom of the supreme leader, his path and mission neither will be lost nor will be forgotten. On the other hand, they will be pursued with greater vigour and zeal," a presenter said. A senior Israeli official said earlier that the Iranian leader's body had been found after a strike, and US President Donald Trump said the United States worked closely with Israel to target the man who led Iran since 1989. Some Iranians took to the streets cheering with joy, setting off fireworks and playing celebratory music after reports of Mr Khamenei's death emerged , according to witnesses and video footage. The celebrations in Tehran began shortly after 11pm local time, according to multiple witnesses and audio recordings. People were not, however, coming out en masse to celebrate, according to social media, as many Iranians remain fearful following the deadly crackdown on mass anti-government protests in January. The thousands who did gather in the centre of Iran's capital were instead mourning Mr Khamenei's death. The mourners, dressed mostly in black and some crying, chanted "death to America" and "death to Israel" in Enghelab (Revolution) Square, with many waving Iran's flags and holding photos of Mr Khamenei. Watch: Thousands of mourners flood Tehran square after death of supreme leader Alireza Arafi has been appointed as the jurist member of Iran's Leadership Council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader's role until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader, ISNA news agency reported. A cleric member of the Guardian Council, Mr Arafi will be part of the temporary Leadership Council alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Iran's president over Ayatollah Khamenei "assassination", according to the Kremlin. He called the killing a "cynical violation" of "morality and international law". Ayatollah Alireza was appointed to be part of the temporary leadership council until the supreme leader's role is filled Israel said it had launched another wave of strikes on Iran, as Iranians grappled with uncertainty after the killing of their supreme leader in the US and Israeli attacks that threaten to destabilise the wider Middle East. The Israeli military said it had launched a broad wave of strikes in the heart of the Iranian capital, Tehran, while several explosions were heard in the city this morning. US President Donald Trump said the air strikes aimed to end a decades-long threat from Iran and ensure it could not develop a nuclear weapon, as he sought to justify a risky gambit that seemed to contradict his professed opposition to American involvement in complex overseas conflicts. Plumes of smoke rise over Tehran after Israel launched fresh attacks this morning "This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all great Americans, and those people from many countries throughout the world, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs," Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social after Khamenei's body was found. Experts said that while the deaths of Mr Khamenei and other Iranian leaders would deal the country a major blow, it would not necessarily spell the end of Iran's entrenched clerical rule or the Revolutionary Guards' sway over the population. Watch: Eyewitness video shows Iranians toppling an Ayatollah monument in Galleh Dar, Fars Province Iran's armed forces vowed in a statement that they would soon retaliate again with their biggest offensive against US bases and Israel. Iran's security chief Ali Larijani vowed to hit the US and Israel with a force never experienced before. "Yesterday Iran fired missiles at the United States and Israel, and they did hurt. Today we will hit them with a force that they have never experienced before," Mr Larijani said in a post on X. President Trump, in a similar refrain, said the United States would hit Iran with "force that has never been seen before" if the country retaliated. "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before," Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!" Rescue forces operate at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv Air raid sirens repeatedly sounded across Israel, warning residents of an incoming attack. In Tel Aviv, a series of explosions were heard as Israel's sophisticated air defense system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive. Fresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama this morning, after a day of Iranian strikes in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks. Iran had responded to yesterday’s initial attacks by launching hundreds of missiles and drones targeting US troops and cities in Israel and Arab countries allied with Washington, prompting widespread cancellations of Middle East flights. The Pentagon said there were no US deaths or injuries, but the strikes raised concerns of new risks for Americans. Witnesses said some Iranians took to the streets in Tehran, the nearby city of Karaj, and the central city of Isfahan to celebrate after reports of Mr Khamenei's death. In a video message on social media, Mr Trump said the aim of the military campaign, which the US Department of Defense named Operation Epic Fury, was "eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime." Members of the Iranian community celebrating news of the strikes in Los Angeles The Iranian people should "take over" the governance of their country, Mr Trump said in the video. "It will be yours to take," he said. "This will probably be your only chance for generations." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, the world's busiest international travel hub, were shut after the strikes as Iran's missile retaliation unleashed one of global aviation's most severe disruptions in years. Dubai's landmark Burj Al Arab hotel and the airport, which handles more than 1,000 flights a day, were damaged in an overnight attack on sites across the Arab Gulf states that also hit airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Israeli military operations over the past two years had already killed some of Iran's senior military officials and severely weakened several of Tehran's once-feared proxy forces across the Middle East. After Israel pounded Iran in a 12-day air war in June, joined by the United States, both warned they would strike again if Iran persisted with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Read more: Iran's Khamenei: ruthless revolutionary at apex of Islamic republic US-Iran crisis: who are the main players? The tense and troubled history of US-Iran relations