Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X about the killed “tyrant” Khamenei: “He who wanted to destroy Israel has been destroyed.” Iran’s government announced 40 days of public mourning and 7 holidays following Khamenei’s death.
Trump had already announced Khamenei’s death in front of the Iranian state media. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform. This is the “greatest opportunity for the Iranian people to retake their country.”
After the first reports of Khamenei’s death, spontaneous cheers broke out in Tehran. Residents of the Iranian capital reported people screaming for joy from their windows. The news was spread by Iranian exile media, among others, which can be received via satellite in Iran. Honking horns could be heard in the streets. Iranian state media, on the other hand, broadcast footage that appears to show crowds mourning the dead religious leader.
According to consistent media reports, several of Khamenei’s relatives were also killed. The Al-Arabiya website, citing the Iranian Fars news agency, reported that Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandson were killed. There was initially no confirmation of this from Iran.
When asked whether there was anyone in Iran he would like to see at the helm of the country, US President Trump told US television channel CBS News: “Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.” And when asked who he thought was in charge in Iran after Khamenei’s death, he said: “I know exactly who, but I can’t tell you.”
Trump announced that the bombing of Iran would continue until peace returned to the region and the world. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described his country’s attacks against Iran, which began on Saturday morning, as the “deadliest, most complex and most precise air operation in history”.
