Tehran (TDI): Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred in US and Israeli strikes, as another wave of attacks hit the country and tensions escalated across the region.
Governments, international actors and religious bodies around the world issued statements condemning the killing and urging restraint to prevent a wider conflict.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the targeting of Iran’s supreme leader, calling it a violation of international norms.
In a post on X, he said Pakistan was “deeply concerned” over the incident, stressing that it is an established convention under international law that heads of state or government should not be targeted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described Khamenei’s killing as a “cynical murder” that violated “all standards of human morality and international law”.
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In a condolence message to Tehran, Putin said Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as a statesman who played a significant role in strengthening relations between Moscow and Tehran.
China said it “strongly condemns” the assassination, describing it as a serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security.
In a statement, Beijing said the killing trampled on the principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, and called for an immediate halt to military operations.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he “unreservedly” condemned the killing of Iran’s supreme leader. In a statement, he warned that the act had pushed the Middle East to the brink of “grave and sustained instability” and extended condolences to the Iranian government and people.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) expressed deep condolences over Khamenei’s death, describing it as the result of an Israeli-American attack.
The council questioned US-backed regional security initiatives and urged the Indonesian government to reconsider its participation in bodies it said undermined justice for Palestine.
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North Korea condemned the US and Israeli strikes as an “illegal act of aggression”. A spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry said the attack constituted “the most vile form of violation of sovereignty,” according to state media.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the killing of the supreme leader as a “great disaster” for the country.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, he said the “martyrdom” of Khamenei would bring “nothing but embarrassment” to the United States and Israel, warning that the consequences would be far-reaching.
