Donald Trump has confirmed the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during bombings launched alongside the US this Saturday.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, has died,” Trump said: “This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but also for all great Americans and for the people of many countries around the world who have been killed or maimed by Khamenei and his band of bloodthirsty thugs.”
According to Trump, Khamenei “could not evade the sophisticated intelligence and tracking systems and, thanks to the close collaboration with Israel, neither he nor the other leaders who have been assassinated with him could do anything. This is the best chance the Iranian people have to take back their country.”
In a previous phone call with NBC, when asked who would replace Iran’s supreme leader, Trump responded: “I don’t know, but at some point they’ll call me and ask who I’d like.” And he added: “I’m just being a little sarcastic.” And in response to reports that Khamenei had been killed in the bombings, he stated: “We believe that this information is correct.” Furthermore, he has declared that “most” of Iran’s top brass “have disappeared,” and has stated: “The people who make all the decisions, most of them have disappeared.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, had declared Khamenei dead a few hours earlier this Saturday in a public appearance: “For three and a half decades, this cruel dictator has spread terror throughout the world, inflicted suffering on his people and worked tirelessly on his plan to destroy Israel. That plan no longer exists. And there are many indications that this tyrant does not exist either.”
According to a high-ranking Israeli source cited by Reuters, Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, has been assassinated and his body has been found. Israeli television Channel 12
The head of public relations for the Iranian supreme leader’s office has accused the country’s enemies of “psychological warfare” following reports of Khamenei’s death. “The enemy is resorting to psychological warfare; everyone must be aware of this,” said the public relations manager.
“This morning we have eliminated senior officials of the Ayatollah regime, commanders of the Revolutionary Guard, senior officials of the nuclear program and we will continue to do so: in the coming days we will attack thousands of targets of the terrorist regime,” Netanyahu assured. “We will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to free themselves from the chains of tyranny,” he added.
“Citizens of Iran, do not miss this opportunity, it is a once in a generation opportunity. Do not sit idly by because your time will soon come, the time when you will be asked to take to the streets en masse. Take to the streets to complete the task: to overthrow the atrocious regime that makes your lives miserable. Your suffering and sacrifice will not be in vain. The help you were waiting for has arrived,” he noted.
His message is in line with that delivered by Trump at the beginning of the aggression. “To the people of Iran, the hour of your freedom is near. Stay under cover, do not leave home, it is very dangerous. Bombs will fall everywhere. When we are done, take over the Government. It will probably be your only chance in generations.”
Even the son of the old shah overthrown in the 1979 revolution sent a practically identical message this Saturday. “The help that the president of the United States promised to the brave people of Iran has already arrived. It is we, the Iranian people, who will finish the job in this final battle. Be alert and prepared to return to the streets for the final push, at a time that I will specify precisely,” he said. “My message to the country’s military, police and security forces is clear: join the nation and help facilitate a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with the wrecked ship of Khamenei and his regime.”
Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr report that the supreme leader appears “firm and determined in command of the battlefield.”
Satellite images show the impact of the bombings on the Ayatollah complex in Tehran.
Israel’s military spokesman has said that Israeli forces killed several senior Iranian defense commanders on Saturday. Among them are Iran’s Defense Minister, General Aziz Nasirzadeh; the head of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, General Mohammad Pakpour; and a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Shamkhani.
Source: www.eldiario.es
