Tehran — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in reported US-‘Israeli’ strikes as an act amounting to a declaration of war, vowing that Iran will pursue retaliation.
In a statement carried by state television, Pezeshkian said:
“The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shiism worldwide… is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and particularly against Shiites, everywhere in the world,”
He framed the killing as not only an attack on Iran’s political leadership but also on the broader Shiite Muslim community globally.
“Right and Obligation” to Avenge
The Iranian president further declared that responding to the killing was both a national duty and a legal right under the Islamic Republic’s interpretation of self-defense.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime,”
Pezeshkian added that avenging the death of Khamenei was an obligation of the state following what Tehran described as joint US-‘Israeli’ strikes.
Regional Implications
The remarks signal a sharp escalation in rhetoric amid already heightened tensions between Iran, the United States, and ‘Israel’. Analysts warn that such statements increase the risk of broader regional confrontation, particularly given Iran’s network of allied groups across the Middle East.
There has been no immediate public response from Washington or Tel Aviv regarding Pezeshkian’s statement.