Qalibaf said Iranian authorities had prepared scenarios “including” contingencies for the period after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and pledged that Iran would “continue Khamenei’s path."
At first dismissed as weak and indecisive, Khamenei seemed an unlikely choice for supreme leader after the death of the charismatic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The Iranian reports did not explicitly mention President Masoud Pezeshkian's ability to carry out his political duties.
Later, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani said that the country was "exercising its inherent and lawful right of self-defense," in response to "aggression and large-scale war."
For decades, Western leaders dismissed Ali Khamenei’s language as rhetoric. His record shows ideology, not ambiguity, guided Iran’s strategy toward Israel, the US, and its own people.
As part of the preparations for the attack, which, as noted, had been scheduled long beforehand, US President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu held several conversations in recent weeks.
Footage from social media showed people lighting off fireworks from their balconies and calling out to each other from their apartments.
A US official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said briefers described the operation to the president as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for change in the region.
Israel’s joint strike with the United States against Iran echoes past wars, but reflects a new doctrine shaped by October 7 and the conclusion that deterrence and containment have failed.
As the missile hit the ground, fragmented pieces of metal were broken off and launched into his home, burning holes into the ceiling and smashing his windows.
Khamenei's daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were also killed in US-Israeli strikes, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.
