Wife of Ali Khamenei Reported Dead amid Escalation of US-Israeli Attacks on Iran
A brutal and deadly combined attack by Israel and the United States on Iran on Saturday 28 February shocked the world.
Mansoureh Khojasteh, wife of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has died, according to a report from Mehr news agency on Monday 2 March. The late Supreme Leader’s wife, who had been in a coma, died as a martyr, according to Mehr.
On Saturday 28 February, the United States and Israel launched a series of attacks against Iranian targets, including Tehran, causing widespread damage and numerous civilian casualties.
Iran subsequently responded by launching missile strikes against Israeli territory and US military infrastructure in the Middle East.
On Sunday 1 March, Iran’s state television confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials had been killed in the US attack on Iran. Iran has accused the US and Israel of terrorism and premeditated assassination of Khamenei.
In an official statement on Sunday 1 March, Iran’s Foreign Ministry affirmed that the combined attack violated principles and norms of international law, including the UN Charter. “Terrorist actions by the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), which carried out premeditated assassination of the Supreme Leader and other high-ranking officials through military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the nation (Iran), represent an unprecedented assault against all international principles and norms,” the statement said.
According to the Iranian government, the use of military force against the leadership of a sovereign nation cannot be justified under international law.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander has threatened to launch missiles at Cyprus amid escalating Iran-US-Israel conflict. Germany is preparing to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East region.
Approximately 200 casualties included primary school-aged children.
The total war launched by the US and Israel against Iran has entered its third day with increasingly severe humanitarian and economic consequences.
The US has instructed citizens and diplomatic mission personnel in Iraq to take shelter due to threats from pro-Iran militias. Tensions have increased in Lebanon, with Israel attacking Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
A University of Tehran academic stated that Iran focused its attacks on US interests and energy infrastructure in the Gulf to pressure Washington, according to reporting by Al Jazeera.
US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine stated that the combined US-Israeli operation in Iran was aimed at self-defence and protecting regional partners, whilst preventing Iranian force projection.