Iran Vows “Most Ferocious” Op After Khamenei’s Death, Sirens Blare In Tel Aviv

Tehran, March 1: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to punish the “murderers” of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after his death was confirmed by state television, hours after President Donald Trump announced the killing of the 86-year-old cleric he described as “one of the most evil people in History.”

“The most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces will begin any moment now,” the Guards posted on Telegram, adding it will target the “occupied territories and American terrorist bases” in the region.

The bases are located in Gulf countries that are already counting the cost of an unprecedented series of deadly Iranian strikes.

“The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them,” the Guards added further.

Unlike the ordinary military, which comes under the Defence Ministry in the elected government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps answers directly to the supreme leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and sworn enemy of the West, was killed in the opening salvo of a massive US and Israeli attack that extended into a second day Sunday, as the two powers seek to topple the Islamic republic.

It was the first US military action of this scale apparently aimed at toppling a foreign government since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Hours later, the Israeli military said another wave of missiles prompted air raid sirens in several areas across the country.

A military statement said the air forces were “operating to intercept and strike”.

Israel’s army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the operation was “taking place at a completely different scale” than the 12-day war it fought against Iran in June, which the US briefly joined.

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel all closed their airspaces to civilian traffic, at least in part, and multiple airlines cancelled flights to the Middle East.

Trump’s envoys had negotiated in Geneva on Thursday with Iran’s foreign minister.

Trump said that Iran’s leaders had not compromised sufficiently on its disputed nuclear programme, although he made clear after the attack that the goal was regime change and not a nuclear deal.

Along with Khamenei, who in more than three decades as Iran’s supreme leader turned the Islamic Republic into a regional power, Iranian media said that his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were killed.

One prominent survivor, Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, vowed defiance.

“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors,” he said.

The attack came weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly put down mass protests, killing thousands.

Loud explosions again pierced Tehran in the early hours, as Trump vowed no let-up in the strikes until the fall of the Islamic republic and urged security forces to stand down.

“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly said to Iranians, “This is your time to join forces, to overthrow the regime and to secure your future.”

Iran responded to the attack with a flurry of missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, killing at least two people in Abu Dhabi and another in Tel Aviv as explosions rocked the showcase cities of Gulf Arab monarchies.

The Israeli army said that Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Khamenei, and the head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, were both also killed.