WANA (Mar 01) – Following the announcement of the assassination of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme  Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in an attack carried out by the United States and Israel, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement describing the act as “an aggression against national sovereignty” and “a violation of the Charter of the United Nations.” The statement called for a response from international institutions and warned of the regional and global consequences of this event.

 

The full text of the statement is as follows:

The Leader of the Ummah and the great Leader of Islamic Iran, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may his noble soul be sanctified), was martyred and ascended to the highest heavenly realm during the savage attacks carried out by the United States and the Zionist regime on his residence on the morning of Saturday, the 10th day of the holy month of Ramadan.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran extends its congratulations and condolences on the martyrdom of this distinguished scholar and great leader to His Holiness the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him), to the noble people of Iran, the Islamic Ummah, and to all freedom-seeking and ethically committed individuals around the world.

 

The terrorist act of the United States and the Zionist regime in assassinating the eminent Leader of Islamic Iran and other senior officials of the country, within the framework of military aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, constitutes an unprecedented assault on the principles and moral foundations accepted by the human community, and represents a flagrant violation of the fundamental rules of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs draws the attention of all countries to the grave reality that an unprovoked military attack against Iran, the assassination of the country’s leaders, and the massacre of innocent citizens set an extremely dangerous precedent in international relations and mark a horrifying shift toward naked bullying and unrestrained force at the global level.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscores the responsibility of international institutions—particularly the United Nations, its Security Council, the Secretary-General, and every member state—to safeguard the principles and rules that are the product of centuries of human experience aimed at restraining power and preventing the domination of force in relations among states.

 

Undoubtedly, indifference and inaction in the face of the organised injustice and crimes of the United States and the Zionist regime will embolden oppressors and criminals, and the consequences of such passivity will affect the entire world for generations to come. This renewed military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran—occurring in the midst of a diplomatic process and repeating their military assault of last June—constitutes a continuation of the hegemonic and criminal operations these two malign actors have launched in West Asia.

 

Over the past two and a half years in particular, they have pursued these actions through what is described as the colonial genocide of Palestinians and attacks on independent countries in the region. Regrettably, the architects and executors of this sinister plan—the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime—are among the most corrupt and malevolent leaders in the world, with well-known records of moral corruption and heinous crimes, including genocide and war crimes.

 

Without doubt, the raised banner of justice, freedom-seeking, dignity, patriotism, and moral commitment upheld by the beloved and honourable Leader of Iran will not fall.

 

The cowardly assassination of this great leader and distinguished Iranian figure will transform him into an immortal symbol in the history of Iran and Shi‘ism—one that will forever guarantee the endurance and dynamism of Iran and Islam, and will inspire the pursuit of truth, freedom, and dignity among Iranians and Muslims.

 

The free nation of Iran, placing its trust in God and relying on its rich civilizational and historical heritage, will continue the path of independence, dignity, and resistance with even greater resolve. The enemies of this nation are well aware that martyrdom is not the end of a path, but the beginning of a new phase of responsibility and historic steadfastness.