Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 1, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Iran president says Khamenei killing ‘declaration of war against Muslims’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout / Iranian Presidency / AFP)
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says that the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli strikes was a “declaration of war against Muslims.”
“The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shiism worldwide… is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and particularly against Shiites, everywhere in the world,” Pezeshkian says in a statement carried by state TV.
He adds that avenging the killing of Khamenei is a right and an obligation of the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime,” Pezeshkian says.
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here