Article:
Red lights have been lit at sacred sites in Iraq to mark the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The sites had been lit with normal lights before the news of Khamenei’s death was announced, but were quickly switched off and replaced with red lights, a symbol of revolution. Ayatollah Khamenei died in an attack by the US and Israel on Iran. Iran’s official media confirmed Khamenei’s death and announced a 7-day mourning period and 40 days of national mourning.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said that the death of the leader would be remembered for centuries. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have attacked an American aircraft carrier, the Abraham Lincoln, with four ballistic missiles in the Gulf. China condemned the attack on Khamenei as a serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security. The region’s sensitive installations, including those in the Beit Shemesh area, are said to be vulnerable to Iranian missile attacks.
Following the increased tensions in the region, Pope Leo said that he is deeply concerned about the escalating situation. Israel claimed that it had targeted the Iranian military’s central headquarters in Tehran as part of a new wave of air strikes. An Israeli spokesperson said that the attack had destroyed an F-4 and an F-5 fighter jet when they were on the ground preparing for flight. The Israeli Prime Minister said that the help that people were waiting for had arrived, and called on the public to complete their work in large numbers.
In a phone call, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack as an “outrageous violation of human ethics and international law.” The Iranian media reported that Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi was appointed as the new leader of the Quds Force, and the Quds Force would temporarily take over the Supreme Leader’s duties.
The UAE’s National Security Adviser Anwar Gargash offered his country’s condolences to Iran. In a statement, the UAE’s National Security Adviser said that the UAE government was providing guidance to its citizens. The UAE’s Ministry of Defense announced that several people were injured in a missile attack on the city of Dubai. The planned attack was initially scheduled to take place at night, but was later moved to the morning after a meeting was announced at the Iranian government’s compound in Tehran.
