UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on Saturday, noted the reports of the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his opening remarks at a UN Security Council session on Iran.
The secretary-general spoke at the Security Council meeting underway at the UN headquarters in New York, called by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Iran’s attacks.
Mr Khamenei was killed Saturday after the U.S. and Israel launched a pre-dawn assault on the country.
“The situation on the ground is very fluid. There are many unconfirmed reports, Guterres said adding, about 20 cities across Iran have reportedly been attacked.
“Large explosions were reported in the district that includes the Presidential Palace and the compound of the Supreme Leader.
“Several high ranking officials have reportedly been killed, including according to Israeli sources, Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, that I’m not in a position to confirm the situation.”
There was a tense atmosphere at the meeting between Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani and his U.S. counterpart, Mike Waltz during the highly charged meeting.
“I have one word only: I advise to the representative of the United States to be polite. It will be better for yourself and the country you represent,” Mr Iravani said.
Mr Waltz responded, saying “I’m not going to dignify this with another response, especially, as this representative sits here, in this body, representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people”.
The Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the UN also claimed the Ayatollah regime had “imprisoned many more simply for wanting freedom from your tyranny.”
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Saturday that Iran’s supreme leader was dead after the U.S. and Israel launched a military assault on the country.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Mr Trump posted.
Mr Trump also called on Iranians to “take back their country”, following Mr Khamenei’s death.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” Mr Trump said.
“Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves.
“That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated.
“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”
The emergency UN Security Council meeting underway at the UN headquarters in New York is expected to issue a press statement after the meeting.
(NAN)