Khamenei killed in US-Israel offensive; Iran declares 40 days of mourning

 The killing of the 86-year-old cleric marks a dramatic moment in Iran’s 46-year-old Shia theocratic system. It ends Khamenei’s 36-year hold over the country and leaves a sudden vacuum at the top of its political and religious hierarchy. There is no clarity yet on who would take charge.

 Meanwhile,US President Donald Trump announced the operation on Saturday, saying the Iranian leader had been tracked through advanced intelligence systems working “closely with Israel”.

 Within hours of the strikes, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles targeting Israel and several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said reports indicated that around 20 cities across Iran, among them Tehran, Qom, Shahriar, Isfahan, and Tabriz, had come under attack.

 India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke separately with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Posting on X, Jaishankar said he had conveyed India’s “deep concern” and repeated the call for dialogue and diplomacy to cool tensions.

 There were reports that the Iranian port city of Chabahar was also hit. It remains unclear whether the infrastructure developed with India’s cooperation was affected.

 The US strikes came shortly after midnight in Washington, during the day in Iran, two days after negotiations in Geneva, facilitated by Oman, ended without a breakthrough. Trump had earlier expressed frustration that talks were not yielding a complete halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment.

 Last month, Iran saw large protests over rising prices. The government cracked down, with reports saying thousands were killed.