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📹Protesters in support of Iran torched a UN office in Skardu, Pakistan — report

Protests erupted after reports that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Unverified footage shows smoke rising from the building.

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🇮🇷 Iranian president vows revenge for Khamenei’s death

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday pledged to avenge the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Israeli and US strikes, saying Tehran views retaliation as its legitimate right.

“Iran considers it its duty and legitimate right to avenge this historic crime and intends to use all available means to fulfill this great obligation,” Pezeshkian said in a statement circulated by his office.

He also expressed condolences over Khamenei’s death, adding that “the path of this great man will be continued.”

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🇮🇷 Iranians gather at Revolution Square in Tehran following confirmation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s death

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🚨Iran has used Fattah-2 hypersonic missiles for the FIRST TIME in strikes on US bases in the Middle East - Fars, citing a source

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🇷🇺🚨Putin sends condolences to Iran over Khamenei killing — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed deep condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family, Kremlin Spokesman Dmtry Peskov said.

◾️Putin said the assassination was carried out with a cynical disregard for human morality and international law.

◾️He added that Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as an outstanding statesman who made a significant contribution to strengthening friendly relations between Russia and Iran.

◾️Putin also asked Pezeshkian to convey his sincere sympathy and support to Khamenei’s relatives and loved ones, as well as to the government and people of Iran.

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🇮🇷Interim leadership council formed in Iran after Khamenei’s death

Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council has selected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as the jurist member of the temporary Leadership Council — alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei — to jointly carry out the duties of the Supreme Leader after the confirmed killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, pending the Assembly of Experts’ appointment of a new leader.

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🚨🇮🇷 Mapping Iran’s missile reach across Middle East

Iran fields a diverse missile arsenal, ranging from short-range tactical systems to medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometers away.

Explore Sputnik's infographic to see what missiles Iran has in its arsenal—and how far they can reach.

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🇮🇷 Ali Khamenei: Architect of modern Iran and guardian of Islamic identity

Ali Khamenei, the second supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been killed in an Israeli bombing at the age of 86.

For more than four decades on the front lines of political life—including 36 years as the nation's highest authority—he shaped the destiny of the Iranian people and the wider region.

🔸 The making of a revolutionary

Born into a religious family in Mashhad, Khamenei devoted his youth to Islamic scholarship in Qom and Najaf. His interest in literature, music and poetry set him apart, but his life's mission became Iran's struggle for independence from foreign influence.

An active follower of Imam Khomeini, he endured imprisonment and exile under the Shah's rule.

🔸 Trial by fire

Following the 1979 revolution, his organizational skills were needed at the highest levels: from defense during the Iran-Iraq war to parliament and the presidency. His eight-year presidency coincided with the war's toughest years, when the country's territorial integrity hung in the balance.

He survived an assassination attempt in 1981, but lost the use of his right arm.

🔸 The succession

When Ayatollah Khomeini died in 1989, Iran faced a historic crossroads. Khamenei's authority and foresight ensured continuity. The Assembly of Experts elected him the new leader and constitutional amendments cemented his mandate, opening a new chapter for the Republic.

🔸 Guardian of the revolution

As supreme leader, Khamenei remained steadfast in his commitment to the revolution's ideals: independence, freedom and Islamic law. He balanced the branches of power while strengthening the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a guarantor of sovereignty in a turbulent region.

He championed a "neither east nor west" foreign policy. His principled stand against the US and rejection of unipolarity allowed Iran to steer an independent course despite unprecedented sanctions.

🔸 The reclusive statesman

Remarkably, Khamenei never left the country or gave interviews throughout his decades-long rule – a deliberate retreat from daily politics to focus on strategic vision. He saw his mission as preserving the ideological purity and institutions established by the republic's founder.

🔸 End of an era

For millions of Iranians, Khamenei will remain the face of revolutionary continuity and resistance to external pressure. Whatever the final verdict of history, he has inscribed his name into Iran's story as the man who, for nearly 40 years, charted the path of the nation while striving to preserve its identity in a changing world.

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