Iran.. "Triumvirate Transitional Administration" After Khamenei's Death

SadaNews - Tehran announced on Sunday the death of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei due to the attack initiated by the United States and Israel on Iran, with state television confirming the news after US President Donald Trump had announced it earlier.

In the aftermath, Mohammad Mokhber, one of Khamenei's advisors, announced that three Iranian officials would oversee the transitional phase, including President Masoud Bezhakian, Head of the Judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, along with a legal representative from the Guardian Council, with this triumvirate managing the country's affairs until constitutional procedures for selecting a new Supreme Leader are completed.

The authorities declared a public mourning period of forty days, while the Revolutionary Guard promised "severe punishment" for those responsible for the attack.

Israel had announced the beginning of the attack on Iran under the name "Lion's Roar", before Washington confirmed that it was a large-scale joint operation named "Epic of Fury", aimed at destroying Iranian military capabilities and overthrowing the regime, according to Trump's statements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a televised speech that his country "destroyed Khamenei's residence (...) and eliminated high-ranking figures" in the Revolutionary Guard and the nuclear program. The Israeli military also announced the killing of Revolutionary Guard Commander Mohammad Pakpour, Khamenei's advisor Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, while Tehran also confirmed the deaths of Pakpour and Shamkhani.

In response, Iran launched volleys of missiles towards Israel and Arab countries, considering all sites participating in the attack as "legitimate targets".

Several countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and Kuwait, reported intercepting missiles in their airspace, while several civilians and military personnel were injured in more than one country.

The Iranian judiciary reported at least 200 dead and 747 wounded as a result of the strikes.

As news of Khamenei's death spread, various expressions of official mourning and celebrations in some neighborhoods were witnessed on the streets of Tehran, according to video clips verified by Agence France-Presse.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss "the situation in the Middle East", while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military escalation and called for an immediate ceasefire.