L'Iran appelle à venger la mort de Khamenei
Iran on Sunday called for revenge for the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the Israeli-American attack launched the previous day, with Donald Trump threatening to strike with "unprecedented" force if Tehran continues its retaliatory strikes.
In response to the unprecedented Israeli-American campaign, during which several senior Iranian officials were killed on Saturday, the Islamic Republic launched widespread strikes against several neighboring countries, including those hosting American bases, and Israel.
President Massoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that avenging the death of the supreme leader was a "legitimate right and duty", denouncing a "declaration of war against Muslims".
"YESTERDAY, IRAN FIRED MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND THEY HURT THEM. TODAY, WE WILL STRIKE THEM WITH A FORCE THEY HAVE NEVER KNOWN," warned the head of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, on X.
"We are burning the hearts" of the United States and Israel, he also said.
Thousands of people gathered in central Tehran, some in tears, waving Iranian flags and chanting "death to America" and "death to Israel," according to an AFP journalist on the scene.
Similar slogans were heard in Shiraz, the major southern city, where a crowd called on the army to "avenge" the death of the supreme leader, according to the Tasnim news agency.
During the night, news of the disappearance of the man who ruled Iran with an iron fist for nearly 37 years was also greeted in Tehran with music from windows and cheers in the streets, according to videos verified by AFP.
"We are in the street and we are celebrating the news," a woman in her forties living in Tehran told an AFP journalist based in Paris, while shouts of joy could be heard in the background.
While the United States and Israel said they would continue their strikes, several explosions were heard in the morning in the capital, AFP journalists reported, shortly before the Israeli army said it was striking "in the heart of Tehran".
First announced by Mr. Trump, the death of Ali Khamenei was confirmed by Iranian state television.
After initial threats of retaliation from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's ideological army, Mr. Trump warned on his Truth Social platform: "IF THEY DO IT, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH UNPRECEDENTED FORCE!"
He judged that the Iranian people had their "greatest chance" to "regain" control of the country.
Iran on Sunday carried out strikes for the second consecutive day on Gulf monarchies, close allies of the United States, which left at least two dead in the United Arab Emirates.
AFP journalists heard further explosions in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as well as in Doha and Manama. Oman, a mediator in the negotiations that resumed in early February between Iran and the United States, was targeted for the first time on Sunday.
The Iranian army claimed to have "successfully targeted American bases in the Gulf countries".
AFP journalists and residents of Riyadh heard loud explosions in the eastern part of the Saudi capital. A source who requested anonymity reported strikes on Riyadh airport.
The conflict has led to the cancellation of several hundred flights worldwide to the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates on Sunday called on Iran to "come to its senses".
In Tehran, the transition of power will be ensured by a triumvirate composed of Massoud Pezeshkian, the head of the judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arafi, a high-ranking religious dignitary and member of the Revolutionary Guard Council, according to state media.
In neighboring Iraq, hundreds of protesters attempted on Sunday to storm the heavily fortified area of the US embassy in Baghdad, an AFP journalist observed.
The death of the supreme leader was announced around 9:30 PM GMT on Saturday by Donald Trump, from the Florida residence where he oversees this military campaign which could change the face of the Middle East and is weighing on oil supplies.
In addition to Khamenei, seven senior Iranian officials, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Pakpour, Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, and the army chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, were killed, Iranian state television confirmed. Israel claimed to have killed a total of 40 high-ranking officials, including Ali Khamenei, in its initial attack.
As it had announced, Iran also retaliated with new attacks against Israel, according to state television.
According to rescue services, 21 people were injured in Tel Aviv after a salvo of Iranian missiles. Air raid sirens sounded in several parts of Israel on Sunday morning.
At the UN, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the triggering of "a series of events that no one can control".
The Iranian Red Crescent announced on Saturday that more than 200 people had been killed in airstrikes across the country. The judiciary reported at least 108 deaths at a girls' school, a figure that could not be independently verified.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu justified the operation, which "will last as long as necessary," by the "existential threat" that he said Iran poses to his country.
Donald Trump said he was responding to "imminent" threats against the United States, linked to both Iran's nuclear program and missile capabilities.
Senior US officials on Saturday accused Iranian authorities of having begun rebuilding nuclear sites struck by June 2025 and of ruling out discussions on their ballistic missiles, a major point of concern for Israel.
The International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Sunday an extraordinary meeting to be held on Monday in Vienna.
Commentaires (8)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.