By Our Correspondent
Iran has vowed to avenge the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning of severe retaliation as tensions spiral across the Middle East. “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, declared in a televised address Sunday. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”
The conflict erupted after a surprise joint bombardment by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian leadership and military installations, killing Khamenei and other senior officials. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation and triggered immediate retaliation by Iran against Israeli and regional targets, raising fears of a prolonged and destabilising war.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against responding militarily, issuing a stark threat on social media. “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” Trump wrote. “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” The U.S. military also confirmed that three American service members were killed, marking the first known U.S. casualties of the conflict.
Explosions rocked Tehran, sending plumes of smoke over government districts, as Iranian authorities reported more than 200 deaths since the bombardment began. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said Israel would maintain relentless pressure, vowing “a non-stop air train” of strikes against Iran’s military and leadership targets.
The fallout spread beyond Iran and Israel, with unrest erupting in Pakistan, where hundreds stormed the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. Police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at least nine people were killed in the clashes. Air travel across the region was also disrupted. In contrast, air defence systems were activated over major cities including Dubai.
Inside Iran, reactions were sharply divided. Witnesses said some residents in Tehran cheered from rooftops, while others mourned as a black flag was raised over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, a powerful symbol of national grief. Iranian authorities have since formed an interim governing council as the country prepares to select a new supreme leader.
As supreme leader since 1989, Khamenei wielded ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military, and religious institutions, making his killing one of the most consequential blows to the Islamic Republic in decades. The escalating strikes and threats have heightened fears that the confrontation could escalate into a broader conflict in the Middle East. (Source: Yahoo News)