Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been at the center of a heated controversy following a bombshell claim by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which has been vehemently denied by Tehran. Bennett alleged that there were indications that the 83-year-old Ayatollah was no longer alive, and that his death had not been confirmed. The Israeli leader further stated that the Iranian Supreme Leader’s compounds had been bombed, and that the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps had also been killed.
Iran, however, has categorically denied these claims, stating that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in good health and safe. In a counter-narrative, the Israeli media has reported that 30 missiles had been fired at the Supreme Leader’s compound, but Ayatollah Khamenei was not present. The Israeli media has also claimed that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been killed in the bombing.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that they had fired four ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Gulf, while China has condemned the alleged assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei as a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security.
With tensions running high in the Middle East, Pope Leo has expressed deep concern over the escalating situation. Israel has claimed that it had targeted the Iranian military’s central headquarters in a new round of airstrikes on Tehran. According to Arab media, a building was destroyed in the Iranian missile attack, which hit an area near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, where sensitive installations, including a New Clear missile facility, are located.
The situation has taken a dramatic turn with reports of a new series of airstrikes by Israel on Tehran. Israel has claimed that it had targeted the Iranian military’s central headquarters, while Arab media reported that an F-4 and an F-5 fighter jet had been destroyed when they were preparing to take off.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the help the people were waiting for had finally arrived, and appealed to the public to come out in large numbers to complete the tasks. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Israeli airstrikes as a blatant violation of human rights and international law.
As the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, the Iranian government has announced that Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi has been appointed as the new head of the Leadership Council, which will temporarily perform the duties of the Supreme Leader. UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash has offered emergency advice to the Iranian government, while several people have been injured in missile attacks on the UAE city of Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defense has released a statement detailing the extent of the damage caused by Iran’s attacks. Meanwhile, protests have erupted outside the US consulate in the UAE, with demonstrators attempting to storm the building and pelt the police with stones.
