LONDON, March 1 - Iranian state media have confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, officials said, as another series of attacks struck Iran on Sunday.
Leaders and influential bodies around the world issued statements responding to the announcement, offering condolences, denouncing the action, and warning of heightened uncertainty across the region.
Russian reaction
"Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law."
Russia's president framed the incident as a murder that violated moral and legal norms and extended condolences over the deaths, including members of Khamenei's family.
Swedish response
"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been confirmed dead. This could open a window of opportunities. But there are still many uncertainties remaining. Irans future must belong to the people. But the road there is long. The risk of a spiral of violence in the Middle East remains great."
Sweden's foreign minister highlighted both possible opportunities and significant unknowns following the confirmation of Khamenei's death, and explicitly warned that the Middle East faces a substantial risk of escalating violence.
Statement from Indonesia's Ulema Muslim Clerical Council
"The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) expressed its deepest condolences for the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as a result of the Israeli-American attack on February 28.
"The United States, which is playing a central role in managing the Palestinian conflict through the BoP (Board of Peace), faces a major question: is this strategy truly aimed at a just peace, or is it actually strengthening an unequal security architecture and burying Palestinian independence? Therefore, the MUI urges the Indonesian government to revoke its membership from the BoP."
The Indonesian clerical council linked the attack to broader questions about international peace initiatives, calling on its government to reconsider participation in what it described as the BoP - the Board of Peace - and questioning whether current approaches serve a just outcome for Palestinians.
Across these reactions, common themes include formal condolences, allegations of unlawful conduct, and a shared concern about the potential for further regional instability and uncertainty about Iran's future trajectory following the reported death.