By Johnathan Paoli
Iran has officially confirmed the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, triggering shockwaves across the Middle East as world leaders warned of escalating conflict and regional instability following a massive joint military assault by the United States and Israel.
Iranian state television announced early Sunday morning that the 86-year-old cleric was killed during coordinated US-Israeli strikes that targeted military and government facilities across the country.
Authorities declared a 40-day national mourning period, underscoring the gravity of the moment for the Islamic Republic as it confronts an unprecedented leadership crisis.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Khamenei’s death, hailing it as a decisive blow to Iran’s ruling system and warning Tehran against retaliation.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with
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