According to Iranian state television, the Supreme Leader of the country, Ali Khamenei, died as a result of military actions initiated by the USA and Israel.
The death occurred on February 28, when American and Israeli forces struck various targets on Iranian territory, including Tehran.
According to the IRNA agency, "he fell a martyr's death."
In connection with the tragic events in Iran, a 40-day mourning period has been declared, and the coming week will be a non-working week.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike; however, Iranian authorities denied this information.
Iran's Vice President Mohammad Mokhber stated that the duties of the deceased Supreme Leader during the vacancy will be performed by the president, the head of the judiciary, and one of the members of the Guardian Council.
“During the vacancy, the functions of the Supreme Leader will be performed by the president, the head of the judiciary, and one of the members of the Guardian Council,” Mokhber reported.
The Saturday strikes by the USA and Israel on Iran resulted in significant destruction and casualties among the civilian population. Iran responded with missile strikes on Israeli targets and US military bases in the region.
According to the Fars News agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the attacks resulted in the deaths of Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, as well as possibly one of his daughters-in-law.
Ali Khamenei was born in 1939 in Mashhad into a family of a religious figure and joined the opposition movement of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1962.
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, he served as Deputy Minister of Defense and played a significant role in the establishment of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
After Khomeini's death in 1989, the Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as Supreme Leader, amending the constitution to allow him to hold this position without meeting the rank requirements among Shia clergy.
Khamenei maintained strict control over the political situation and the armed forces of the country, suppressing any challenges to his authority, often using force.
He consistently took a hardline stance in international politics, especially towards the USA, expressing distrust of the West and calling for the elimination of the State of Israel, as well as questioning the facts of the Holocaust.
During his rule, seven presidents have changed in Iran, and he has six children.
