Iranian high officers vowed on Sunday (March 1, 2026) to avenge their slain supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and declared a brand new wave of strikes on U.S. bases within the Gulf, defying U.S. President Donald Trump’s menace of an unprecedented escalation in drive.
As crowds gathered in Tehran, explosions rang out and the Israeli navy introduced that it was once more hanging targets within the coronary heart of town — as extra blasts have been heard in Jerusalem, Riyadh, Dubai, Doha and Manama.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei’s killing a “declaration of struggle towards Muslims” and warned: “Iran considers it its official responsibility and proper to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”
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Ali Larijani, the highly effective head of Iran’s Supreme Nationwide Safety Council, declared: “The courageous troopers and the good nation of Iran will educate an unforgettable lesson to the worldwide oppressors.”
In a social media put up that adopted Mr. Trump’s fashion and rhetoric, he warned: “YESTERDAY IRAN FIRED MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND THEY DID HURT. TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.”
In the meantime, blasts have been heard in northern Tehran and smoke was seen emanating from a constructing, an AFP journalist reported. It was not instantly clear what the goal was.
Unprecedented drive menace
Earlier, cheers had been heard as some Iranians celebrated early studies of the loss of life of their longtime chief, however — after state media confirmed his killing — pro-government demonstrations additionally fashioned, chanting “Loss of life to America!”.
As crowds demanded revenge — and Iran’s military introduced strikes concentrating on U.S. bases within the Gulf and Iraqi Kurdistan — Mr. Trump threatened to unleash “drive that has by no means been seen earlier than” and urged Iran’s folks to stand up and seize energy.
Iran’s first retaliatory strikes on Saturday (February 28) had hit all of the Gulf states aside from Oman, which had sought to mediate U.S.-Iran talks. However on Sunday (March 1, 2026) the nation’s business port of Duqm was hit by two drones, injuring a international employee, the Oman Information Company mentioned, with a tanker off the sultanate’s coast additionally hit.
Outrage at Saturday’s (February 28) wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes towards Iran, which killed 86-year-old Khamanei and another senior figures, spilled over into neighbouring Iraq and Pakistan, the place crowds tried to storm US diplomatic missions.
In Iran, the Pink Crescent mentioned strikes had left 201 folks lifeless and injured a whole bunch extra.
Iran’s judiciary confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, a high adviser to Khamenei, and the top of Iran’s highly effective Revolutionary Guards, Common Mohammad Pakpour, have been each killed.
Iran responded to the strikes with a flurry of missile and drone strikes throughout the Center East, killing no less than two folks in Abu Dhabi and one other in Tel Aviv, earlier than following up with a brand new wave after state media confirmed Khamenei’s loss of life.
Query on succession
Iran had already seen intense hypothesis on a successor to Khamenei, given his age. Upon his loss of life, many observers anticipated larger energy for the Revolutionary Guards, that are deeply entrenched within the Iranian financial system.
Mr. Pezeshkian and two different high officers would lead Iran within the transitional interval following Khamenei’s loss of life, state tv mentioned.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late pro-Western shah deposed within the 1979 Islamic revolution, mentioned any successor inside the system can be illegitimate.
Hailing the demise of Khamenei, Mr. Pahlavi mentioned: “Together with his loss of life, the Islamic Republic has successfully come to an finish and can quickly be consigned to the dustbin of historical past.”
Mr. Pahlavi, who has spent most of his life in exile close to Washington, has offered himself as a transitional determine to a secular democracy, however he doesn’t get pleasure from help from throughout the opposition.
Revealed – March 01, 2026 03:01 pm IST
