Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei killed in US-Israel attack

Iran confirmed early Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes here the previous day, reported Xinhua.

The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.

"Iran's leader attained martyrdom while carrying out his duties at his office," reported Iran's Nour News affiliated with the country's Supreme National Security Council.

The report said that the attack also resulted in the deaths of Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and one of his daughters-in-law.

In response to the loss, the Iranian cabinet issued a statement declaring 40 days of national mourning, the official news agency IRNA reported.

The statement said Iran's leader was killed following a "brutal attack by the criminal U.S. government and the sinister Israeli regime," praising Khamenei for having led the country "sagaciously" for more than 37 years.

The Iranian government vowed that the perpetrators of the "major crime" would be held accountable, and that Iran would ensure those responsible "regret their actions."

In line with constitutional procedures, Mohammad Mokhber, the Supreme Leader's aide, confirmed that the leadership duties would temporarily be assumed by Iran's president, judiciary chief, and a jurist from the Constitutional Council, as outlined in Article 111 of Iran's Constitution, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in a statement published on its official outlet, Sepah News, offered its condolences and vowed that the Iranian nation would exact "a hard, decisive, and regret-inducing" punishment on the "murderers." It denounced the U.S. and Israeli attack as a "criminal and terrorist" act that violated international norms.

Following the announcement of Khamenei's death, Iranian mourners took to the streets across various cities on Sunday, voicing their anger and calling for retribution.

Born in 1939, Khamenei became Iran's Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini.

A top Iranian security official said on Sunday the country will form an interim council later in the day to assume the leadership responsibilities until the selection of a new leader.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV hours after the country confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in strikes launched by the United States and Israel on Saturday in Tehran.

Larijani said that according to Article 111 of Iran's Constitution, if the country lacks leadership, its president, judiciary chief and a jurist from the Constitutional Council will temporarily assume the leader's responsibilities.

He added that the council will be set up as soon as possible.

The security council chief said that the entire nation has become mournful and angry, and will respond to the Israeli and U.S. actions.

Larijani warned that Israel seeks to divide Iran to dominate the entire West Asia region, adding that the United States has fallen into Israel's trap.

He stressed that it appears as if despite the "America First" slogan of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel is the top U.S. priority, adding that Israel has dominated the United States.

On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, including Tabriz, Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Karaj. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region.

Several Iranian senior officials, including Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were also killed in the strike.

Some 40 Iranian officials were killed in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday, CBS News reported, citing anonymous sources.

Fox News, citing Israeli officials, also said that Saturday's strikes killed more than 40 senior Iranian security and government figures, noting that five to 10 top Iranian leaders were killed, along with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who were meeting at a compound in Tehran.

Earlier Saturday, when announcing Khamenei's death, U.S. President Donald Trump said the massive military campaign against Iran will continue.

"The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary," Trump said in a post on social media.

Meanwhile, the death toll of a joint U.S. and Israeli strike on an elementary girls' school in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan rose to 148, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

The attack also left 95 people wounded, Ebrahim Taheri, local prosecutor, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday night that a diplomatic solution in Iran remains possible and is "much easier now" following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously," Trump said in a phone interview with CBS News, saying the attacks have been effective and could create a pathway to diplomacy.

Trump said "there are some good candidates" to lead Iran in the wake of Khamenei's death but did not elaborate.

On Iran's retaliatory response, Trump said: "It's what we expected."

"We thought it'd be double," Trump said. "Thus far, it's been less than we thought."

Earlier in the day, following the announcement of Khamenei's death, Trump said that the massive military campaign against Iran would continue.

"The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary," said Trump in a post on social media.