Israel said on Thursday that the killing of Ali Khamenei complied with international law governing armed conflict, describing the Iranian leader as the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces and a legitimate military target.
The Middle East war that began on Saturday was triggered by coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran, including an attack that killed the Iranian supreme leader.
Israel has argued the strikes were necessary to safeguard its national security, partly due to concerns that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear weapons programme at a new underground facility.
Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said on Thursday that the strike which killed Khamenei “complied with international law".
“Under the international law of armed conflict, military commanders directing armed forces during wartime can constitute lawful military targets,” Shoshani wrote on X.
“As Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei served as Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces,” he added, describing the ayatollah as “the final decision-maker on Iran’s military operations". ”.
“During the ongoing conflict, he directed the use of force against Israel and oversaw the funding, arming and coordination of the regime’s proxy forces.
“Neutralising the regime’s Commander-in-Chief delivered a clear military advantage by degrading Iran’s ability to plan and coordinate attacks against Israel,” Shoshani said.
Iranian media reported that Khamenei’s wife, son-in-law and two grandchildren — who were minors — were also killed in the strike.
Iran has responded to the killing by launching waves of missile attacks against Israel and targets across the Middle East, including United States military and diplomatic sites.
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have continued carrying out strikes on targets inside Iran.
.jpg "Obama 'Star Wars' center reflects former president’s vision, legacy")
