New supreme leader to be chosen within one or two days: Iran FM Araghchi
Iranian state media reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Saturday during Israeli and US strikes on his office.
What is happening?
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, state media confirm
- US and Israeli strikes on Iran extend into second day
- Iran retaliates with widening attacks on Gulf nations
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vows revenge for Khamenei's death
- US President Trump threatens to hit Iran with unprecedented force
- Global air travel disrupted as strikes keep hubs like Dubai airport closed
9:40pm
European Union Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said she has spoken to Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
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The EU leader said she would work closely with Prince Mohammed to "de-escalate and safeguard regional stability."
Von der Leyen will convene a special security college tomorrow (2 March)
Elsewhere, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will discuss the situation in the Middle East with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington on Tuesday.
Merz said the Iranian nuclear programme "threatens stability and peace in the region", and "the regime in Tehran has no legitimacy to stay in power."
9:30pm
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted Iranian missiles targeting Riyadh's international airport and the Prince Sultan Airbase that houses US military personnel.
"Air defences successfully intercepted Iranian missiles near Riyadh airport and Prince Sultan Airbase on Sunday afternoon," an unidentified source, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP news agency.
The interception did not disrupt navigation or cause any human or material losses. An eyewitness near the airport said they "saw and heard the air defence intercept the missile in the sky".
9:20pm
The Israeli army said new attacks have been launched on Tehran.
According to a military update, its forces have begun carrying out new air raids on the Iranian capital.
"The Air Force has now begun a new wave of strikes in the heart of Tehran," a brief statement on X said.
9:10pm
The US embassy in Baghdad has warned of threats against US interests in Iraq, and said protests near its compound could become violent.
The embassy said on X that it is "tracking active threats to US interests in Iraq including restaurants, businesses and individuals".
US "citizens should remain alert to their surroundings and avoid large crowds, as demonstrations may turn violent", it said.
9:00pm
The US Central Command, which is overseeing ongoing US attacks on Iran, said it had sunk an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette in the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier.
"As the President said, members of Iran's armed forces, IRGC and police 'must lay down your weapons.' Abandon ship," Central Command said in a post on X, referring to remarks made by Trump on Saturday.
8:50pm
US says three service members have been killed in Iran operation.
The information came from US Central Command, which is overseeing the assault on Iran.
8:35pm
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a "violation" of international law.
"The people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of Khamenei," Shehbaz wrote on his official X account.
"Pakistan also expresses concern over violation of the norms of international law," he added.
8:30pm
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that, following the death of Khamenei, a new supreme leader may be selected in "a day or two".
It comes after Tehran announced an interim leadership who Araghchi says "will act as in charge of the leadership before a new leader is elected".
He adds that Iran's strikes are "an act of self-defence and retaliation to the American aggression against us".
8:20pm
The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was targeted with four ballistic missiles on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp said in a statement reported by state media.
The USS Lincoln is one of two aircraft carriers deployed to the region in recent weeks and the only one relatively close to Iranian shores.
8:00pm
The US embassy in Jerusalem said it is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.
On its website, the embassy directed all US government employees and their family members to continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice.
7:35pm
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country will continue to strike hard against its enemies.
Pezeshkian said, "We will continue following in the footsteps of our supreme leader."
He added that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran would "continue to strike hard" and "continue to destroy the military bases of our enemies."
Referring to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian described the incident as "the martyrdom of the leader of the revolution," calling it the culmination of years of sacrifice.
7:30pm
One person has been killed and 32 injured after Iranian attacks on Kuwait, as per the Kuwaiti Health Ministry.
7:10pm
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani wrote in a post on X the country was targeting US bases in countries in the region.
"To the countries of the region: We are not seeking to attack you. But when the bases located in your countries are used against us, and when the United States carries out operations in the region relying on those forces, we will target those bases. Those bases are not the territory of those countries; they are American territory," Larijani's post said.
7:02pm
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry says it summoned the Iranian ambassador today, a day after the kingdom accused Tehran of targeting its territory with strikes.
"Foreign Ministry summons the Iranian ambassador to the Kingdom in response to Iran's brazen attacks that targeted the Kingdom and a number of brotherly countries," the ministry said in a statement on X.
6:59pm
The Israeli ambulance service said eight people had been killed in a missile strike on the town of Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem.
6:53pm
At least three people have been killed and 58 others wounded in the United Arab Emirates since Iran began its retaliatory campaign in the Gulf in response to US and Israeli attacks.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of three people – one from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, as per the UAE defence ministry.
6:40pm
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today that attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran during US-Iran negotiations were "unacceptable", according to state news agency Xinhua.
Wang said the "blatant killing of a sovereign leader" and the incitement of regime change were unacceptable.
China is calling for an immediate cessation of military action, a return to dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible, and joint opposition to unilateral actions, the minister said.
China's ministry on Saturday expressed concern over the strikes and called for an immediate ceasefire, urging all sides to avoid escalation and to resume dialogue and negotiation.
It said Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.
In a commentary on Sunday, China's state-run Xinhua news agency criticised the attack, calling it "brazen aggression against a sovereign nation" and "power politics and hegemony".
Xinhua said Washington's use of military coercion was a "flagrant violation" of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and a departure from "fundamental norms of international relations".
6:20pm
More than 1,000 demonstrators marched to the US and Israeli embassies in Athens today to protest against the strikes in Iran.
The protesters, largely affiliated with the Greek Communist Party, carried banners and placards reading "Hands off Iran" and "Close Souda base."
Earlier in the day, Greece tightened security at the Souda naval base on the island of Crete, a key US strategic facility in the eastern Mediterranean.
Rows of blue police buses were deployed to cordon off the US and Israeli embassies.
Police sources estimated the crowd at more than 1,300 people.
5:50pm
At least 150 tankers, including crude oil and liquefied natural gas vessels, have dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data has showed.
Dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint. The movements came after US and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into a new war.
The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as LNG giant Qatar, according to the Reuters news agency estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.
5:45pm
Pope Leo has been giving his weekly address to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square.
He said he was following events with "deep concern" and made an impassioned appeal to stop what he called a "spiral of violence".
"I address a heartfelt appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss," he said.
"Stability and peace are not built through mutual threats or through weapons ... but only through reasonable, genuine, and responsible dialogue."
5:20pm
Alireza Arafi was appointed today (1 March) as the jurist member of Iran's Leadership Council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader's role until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader, ISNA news agency reported.
A cleric member of the Guardian Council, Arafi will be part of the temporary Leadership Council alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
5:10pm
US-Israeli attacks on Iran are "illegal aggression" and a violation of national sovereignty, North Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson has been quoted as saying by state media Korean Central News Agency.
The US involvement was "within the range of expectations", the spokesperson said, calling it an inevitable outcome given the "hegemonic and gangster-like" nature of the United States.
The "war of aggression" by the US and Israel is unacceptable under any circumstances, the statement said.
5:00pm
Jasem al-Budaiwi, the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, has condemned Iran's attack on the port of Duqm in Oman and the targeting of an oil tanker off the coast of Oman as a "serious violation and a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security".
He described these actions as "unacceptable provocations" that "undermine stability" in the Gulf and stressed the need for restraint and respect for international law.
4:50pm
Russia's TASS news agency said Putin had expressed his condolences to Pezeshkian over the killing of Iran's supreme leader.
It also quoted him as saying Khamenei's killing was a cynical murder in violation of all standards of human morality and international law.
4:42pm
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said the military is "carrying out intensive strikes targeting sites belonging to the Iranian regime."
"We will organise a continuous air bridge to carry out a powerful attack on targets in Tehran," Katz wrote on X.
4:24pm
The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold an emergency video conference on Sunday, a Gulf insider familiar with the matter informed Al Jazeera.
The GCC, a political and economic bloc, comprises six Arabian Peninsula countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
4:16pm
British Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News that two missiles had been launched toward Cyprus, home to thousands of British troops, reports Al Jazeera.
"We don't believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless, it's an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region, and that requires us to act," he said of Saturday's launches.
He added that Iranian strikes had landed just a few hundred meters from British forces in Bahrain.
4:12pm
Thick plumes of smoke were observed over Tehran on Sunday following Israel's announcement of another wave of attacks on Iran.
4:01pm
The International Energy Agency is "actively" keeping track of developments in the Middle East and their potential impact on global energy markets and trade, IEA Director General Fatih Birol said on X.
Markets have been well supplied so far, Birol added, noting that he has been in touch with ministers from key producing countries in the region.
3:59pm
Bahrain's National Communications Centre reports that it has intercepted a fresh wave of "hostile Iranian ballistic missiles and drones" over the country, according to Al Jazeera.
3:57pm
Iran's top security official, Ari Larijani, has issued a stark warning to the US and Israel, reports Al Jazeera.
"Yesterday Iran fired missiles at the United States and Israel, and they did hurt," he said on X. "Today we will hit them with a force that they have never experienced before."
His remarks mirrored a warning that US President Trump had issued to Iran earlier in the day.
3:48pm
Hamas has announced that it is mourning Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his death in what it called a heinous US-Israeli attack.
"He provided all forms of political, diplomatic and military support to our people, our cause and our resistance," Hamas said in a statement.
The Palestinian group added that the US administration and Israel "bear full responsibility for this blatant aggression and heinous crime against the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and for its grave repercussions on the security and stability of the region."
Hamas further stated that Arab and Muslim nations have a "political, legal and historical responsibility to take immediate and decisive action."
3:42pm
Emirates Airlines now says it has suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 3pm (1100 GMT) on Monday.
Airlines continued to cancel flights across the Middle East on Sunday as much of the region's airspace remained closed.
Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran's retaliatory attacks, while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.
3:30pm
Qatar has voiced strong condemnation of Iranian strikes targeting Oman's commercial port of Duqm and a nearby oil tanker.
In a statement, the Qatari foreign ministry described the attacks as a violation of Omani sovereignty, an unacceptable escalation and a "cowardly act" against a country that actively engages in mediation efforts.
3:27pm
Oman's Maritime Security Centre has reported that the Palau-flagged oil tanker Skylight came under attack roughly 5 nautical miles (9km) off Musandam, Oman.
Four individuals were injured and all 20 crew members were evacuated, reports Al Jazeera.
3:19pm
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said pursuing revenge for the assassination of Khamenei and other senior officials is the nation's "duty and legitimate right."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers seeking justice and exacting retribution from the perpetrators and those who ordered this historic crime to be its duty and legitimate right, and it will devote all its strength to fulfilling this great responsibility and obligation," Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.
3:18pm
Al Jazeera reports explosions have been heard in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
2:37pm
Summaiya Syed, the chief surgeon for Karachi police, told Al Jazeera that nine bodies had been brought to Karachi's Civil Hospital following clashes between protesters and police as the crowd attempted to enter the US consulate.
Police officials did not confirm the cause of the deaths or the total number of victims.
Authorities stated that the protesters had managed to reach only the "outer periphery" of the consulate compound before being dispersed.
2:33pm
The Israeli military has announced that it hit "the heart of Tehran" for the first time since the recent US-Israeli strikes began, reports Al Jazeera.
In a Telegram statement, the military said the targets included government facilities and noted that the past day's operations aimed to secure air superiority and prepare the way towards Tehran.
Thick plumes of smoke were reported rising over the Iranian capital.
2:30pm
Over 200 residents have been relocated to three hotels in Tel Aviv after at least 40 buildings sustained damage in Iranian strikes on Saturday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, citing municipal authorities.
2:28pm
Six people have been killed and several others injured in unrest near the US consulate in Karachi, according to Pakistan's Edhi rescue service.
Al Jazeera reports that the fatalities occurred after protests erupted outside the diplomatic mission, with demonstrators attempting to breach the compound. Police later moved in to disperse the crowd, leaving multiple people wounded.
2:25pm
Videos verified by Al Jazeera show protesters setting parts of the US diplomatic mission in Karachi on fire and smashing its windows during demonstrations.
Local sources say the protests were sparked by the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reports Al Jazeera.
2:12pm
Most Gulf stocks sank on Sunday as investors pulled money, fearing prolonged regional destabilisation.
Trading in Middle East markets can be an early indicator of how investors measure any impact on assets from oil to safe-haven currencies and gold.
In Saudi Arabia, the benchmark share price index plunged 4.6% in early trade, on track for its biggest intraday fall since April.
The Muscat stock index trimmed its decline to 1.5% after sliding more than 3% in a broad-based selloff. Bahrain's stock index was down 0.6%.
1:50pm
Thousands of flights have been affected across the Middle East and beyond since the US and Israeli strikes, according to data on FlightAware, a flight tracking platform.
Key transit airports including Dubai - the world's busiest international hub - and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region's airspace remained closed.
Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran's retaliatory attacks, while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.
Dubai and neighbouring Doha sit at the crossroads of east-west air travel, funnelling long-haul traffic between Europe and Asia through tightly scheduled networks of connecting flights.
With those hubs idle, aircraft and crews remained stranded out of position, disrupting airline schedules worldwide.
1:41pm
Loud blasts were heard in Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha for the second day on Sunday, witnesses said, as Iran's retaliatory strikes widened.
Two people were injured in Dubai - the Middle East's biggest tourism and trade hub - after shrapnel from drones fell on two houses after the drones were intercepted, a Dubai Media office statement said.
Dubai's international airport, its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel and the posh man-made Palm Jumeirah Island all suffered damage.
In Dubai's Jebel Ali port area, one of the berths caught fire earlier on Sunday because of debris from an aerial interception of a missile.
Iran had said it would target US bases in the region, but it has hit a range of other targets across Gulf cities.
1:06pm
Two people were injured in Dubai after shrapnel from intercepted drones fell onto two homes, the Dubai media office said.
12:55pm
Iran carried out a new wave of strikes across the Middle East on Sunday morning, with CNN reporting explosions in several capitals and major cities.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had launched a "sixth wave" of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases in the region, CNN reported quoting the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
In Israel, the military said it had detected missiles fired from Iran and activated its air defence systems. Air raid sirens sounded across central and southern parts of Israel.
In Dubai, CNN journalists on the ground reported hearing multiple explosions during the morning, with smoke visible in the sky. Authorities said debris from an intercepted aerial threat over the Business Bay area had sparked a fire at Jebel Ali, the city's main commercial port. Smoke was seen rising from the port area.
In Doha, Qatar, CNN reported several loud blasts at around 7:30am local time. Qatar's Interior Ministry said 16 people had been injured and described the material damage in parts of the country as limited.
In Bahrain, state media reported that air defence systems intercepted at least 45 missiles and nine drones overnight. Video verified by CNN showed smoke rising near the Crowne Plaza hotel in Manama.
In Iraq, geolocated images showed thick black smoke billowing from a fire at Erbil Airport. Iran's Fars News Agency reported heavy explosions in the Iraqi city on Sunday morning.
12:48pm
Several loud explosions have been heard in Tehran, Iranian state media said on Sunday.
The reports come after Israel said it had launched another wave of strikes.
Israel's military said it targeted Iran's ballistic missile and air defence systems on Sunday morning.
12:43pm
Iran's official IRNA agency reports that the chief of the staff of the Armed Forces, Abdul Rahim Mousavi, and Minister of Defence Aziz Nasirzadeh have been killed in the US-Israel attacks on Iran.
12:37pm
The US Embassy in Jordan has issued a security alert advising people to remain sheltered in place.
"Reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace. Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately," Al Jazeera quoted it as saying.
It also urged residents to stay indoors and monitor local announcements and official alerts.
After a relatively calm evening, multiple explosions were heard over Doha, described as among the loudest so far, reports Al Jazeera.
Qatar's air defence systems are understood to be intercepting incoming attacks from Iran, raising the possibility of debris falling in some areas.
It remains unclear how many missiles or drones were launched towards Qatar, and official confirmation is still awaited.
Explosions were also reported in Dubai, amid indications that further attacks could follow after Iran warned that additional strikes were imminent.
12:22pm
Japanese shipping firms have halted operations around the Strait of Hormuz, after the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran said it had closed navigation.
Some 20% of global oil passes through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, along with large volumes of LNG, raising expectations of a sharp jump in prices.
Nippon Yusen instructed its vessels to halt transit in the area on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company said.
A spokesperson for Mitsui OSK Lines said, "We are refraining from navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, and our related vessels have been instructed to remain in safe waters."
A Kawasaki Kisen spokesperson said that several of its ships currently in the Persian Gulf are on standby.
Unlike with other thoroughfares, there are no options for diverting the shipments, they said.
Iran's top security official, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, said a temporary leadership council will be set up on Sunday, Iranian state TV reported.
He also warned that secessionist groups will face a harsh response if they attempt any action, as he accused the US and Israel of seeking to plunder and disintegrate Iran, state TV said.
United Arab Emirates' Etihad Airways says it has suspended flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 2am on Monday (2200 GMT Sunday).
11:38am
The US will hit Iran "with a force that has never been seen before" if the Middle East nation retaliates, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday.
"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He added, "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"
11:35am
Al Jazeera reports that Jordanian air defence systems have intercepted missiles that entered the airspace over the capital, Amman, as well as northern parts of the country.
The development comes as air raid sirens continue to sound in and around Tel Aviv in Israel.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced a sixth wave of attacks targeting Israel and what it says are 27 US bases across the Middle East, following the assassination of Iran's supreme leader and senior security officials.
11:32am
Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, referring to Trump and Israel, says they have crossed a red line and "will pay for it," Iranian state TV reported early on Sunday.
He added that the country will continue Khamenei's path.
11:31am
As Israelis hunkered down in bomb shelters on the second day of the war with Iran, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel's military would continue to act to defend the country.
"Justice has been served, and the axis of evil has suffered a mortal blow," Katz said on X, referring to the killing of Khamenei.
11:25am
A devastating US-Israeli strike on an elementary girls' school in Minab, southern Iran, has left at least 148 people dead so far and 95 others wounded, reports Al Jazeera.
The attack took place on Saturday and the death toll continues to rise as recovery efforts proceed.
11:15am
Al Jazeera reports that sirens are sounding across Kuwait, as Iran persists with retaliatory strikes following the assassination of Supreme Leader Khamenei.
10:48am
Shortly after 6am (0400 GMT), air raid sirens repeatedly sounded across Israel, warning residents of an incoming attack.
In Tel Aviv, a series of explosions were heard as Israel's sophisticated air defence system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.
There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.
10:35am
The Iran crisis has unleashed one of the most severe disruptions to global aviation in years.
Major Middle Eastern airports - including Dubai, the world's busiest international travel hub - were shut after the strikes on Iran and its retaliation.
Dubai's international airport, which handles more than 1,000 flights a day, sustained damage during an Iranian retaliatory attack on sites across the Arab Gulf states, and airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.
Major regional gateways including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were closed as countries across the Middle East shut their airspace. Flight maps showed skies over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain virtually empty, while airlines across Europe and the Middle East announced sweeping cancellations.
Dubai and neighbouring Doha sit at the crossroads of east‑west air travel, funnelling long‑haul traffic between Europe and Asia. Any prolonged shutdown of the airports would ripple far beyond the region, forcing airlines worldwide to reroute or cancel services.
10:29am
Several more loud bangs were heard in the Dubai area for a second day on Sunday, witnesses said.
It comes after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on the neighbouring Gulf states in response to US and Israeli attacks.
Iran has said it would target US bases in the region.
8:23am
In a statement carried by Iran's state media early on Sunday, the country's Revolutionary Guards said the biggest offensive operation in the history of the armed forces will be launched "in moments" towards Israel and the US bases.
8am
Iranian state media reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Saturday during Israeli and US strikes on his office.
State media said Khamenei "was carrying out his assigned duties and was present at his workplace (his office)" at the time of what it described as "This cowardly attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning". The reports said the strike also killed several of his family members, including his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild, says Reuters.
There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli or US officials. Iranian media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied the reports, calling them "fake news".
In a statement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said: "We have lost a great leader and we are mourning him, a leader who was unique in in terms of purity of spirit, strength of faith, resourcefulness in affairs, courage in the face of the arrogant, and jihad in the path of God".
If confirmed, Khamenei's death would trigger a constitutional process for leadership transition. Under Iran's constitution, a three-person council comprising the president, the head of the judiciary and a cleric from the Guardian Council would assume control of the country.
There were also unconfirmed reports that authority was being granted to Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on those reports.
The reported killing prompted reactions inside and outside Iran. Witness accounts and local reports indicated that crowds gathered in parts of Tehran following the announcement.
Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's former Shah, said the "hour of liberation is at hand" and added that "The courageous Iranian people have paid a heavy price for freedom," while promoting a plan for a transition to a democratic Iran, says Al Jazeera.
Iranian authorities announced a 40-day mourning period. However, reports indicated that bombardment continued, with explosions heard in the capital.
