Any Iranian Leader Seeking Our Destruction Will Be Eliminated, Israel Warns

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said on Monday that any Iranian leader who seeks Israel’s destruction would face the same fate as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the slain Iranian Supreme Leader’s funeral procession moved through Tehran.

“The assassin was assassinated,” he said. “Any Iranian leader who tries to push plans to destroy Israel again will also be thwarted.”

Khamenei was killed in a joint United States-Israel strike on 28 February, part of a wider operation targeting senior Iranian officials during the two countries’ war with Iran.

His death was confirmed by the Iranian government on 1 March.

Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named Iran’s new Supreme Leader following his father’s death.

He has not appeared publicly at any of the funeral ceremonies held in Tehran since Saturday, fuelling questions over his health and over who is currently leading the country.

Mojtaba is believed to have been wounded in the same strike that killed his father, mother and wife.

He has remained out of public view since the war began in February, communicating with supporters only through written statements attributed to him.

Three of Khamenei’s other sons, Mostafa, Masoud and Meysam Hosseini Khamenei, appeared publicly on Sunday for the first time since the war began, offering prayers over their father’s body at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran.

Funeral ceremonies for Khamenei are scheduled to continue through Thursday, when he is due to be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

Reports from Iranian state media said the government had declared 40 days of mourning and seven days of public holiday following Khamenei’s death.