Iran's Supreme Leader killed in US-Israeli strikes
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You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.
Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Sunday, the 1st of March.
What led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Iran has confirmed the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old cleric was killed during a barrage of US-Israeli strikes. President Trump called him one of the most evil people in history, as some people celebrated in Iran. But who is in charge now? Also in the podcast, we hear about Iranian retaliation hitting targets across the Middle East and threatening to close a key oil transit route. And we get an update from the UN Security Council. For nearly four decades, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has wielded absolute power in Iran, but no longer.
How are Iranians reacting to the news of Khamenei's death?
As dawn broke in Tehran, Iranian state media confirmed he was dead, killed at his office in the early hours of Saturday. It followed a day of heavy airstrikes across Iran by the US and Israel, codenamed Epic Fury. President Trump earlier broke the news of the death of the 86-year-old cleric, calling him one of the most evil people in history, but Iran denied it. Nevertheless, as rumours spread of his demise, there were celebrations in a number of Iranian cities.
Young people, including women without headscarves, danced and waved flags in a residential area near the city of Karaj. In the west of the capital, Tehran, people were filmed cheering and whistling from their windows and balconies as celebrations echoed between tall apartment blocks. Well, Iran has now announced 40 days of mourning, while the Revolutionary Guard Corps promised severe decisive punishment for the murderers of Ayatollah Khamenei, as it put it. But what does his death mean for the people of Iran?
What implications does Khamenei's death have for Iran's government?
Here's Kashayar Junaidi of the BBC Persian service.
For 36 years, his will was what was implemented. No matter elections, parliamentary elections, a president, all of them were second to him. So he was the most important person in the country. And he had a, according to the constitution of the Islamic Republic, he had a high religious as well as high political standing. And nobody was above him. He was above the law. And many people, were not happy with the way the country moved forward during his reign. And the result of that dismay and that resentment was the uprisings, was the protests in January, which were heavily crushed.
Who is likely to succeed Khamenei as Iran's Supreme Leader?
So Khamenei's last chapter of his reign will be remembered as a bloody chapter in which thousands of people were killed on the streets of Tehran and other cities across the country, people who were not happy with their economic situation. And now the chants you are hearing now, these are the people which will remember Khamenei Not by what happened during these 36 years, but by the crackdown on the protesters. Who is in charge of the country at the moment? We still don't know. Look, considering the standards of the Islamic Republic, the announcement of Khamenei's death was faster than usual. 36 years ago, when his predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini died, they waited till 7 in the morning to announce his death.
Khamenei's death has been announced 5 in the morning. That shows that they have some confidence about the succession structure.
What are the Revolutionary Guard's plans following Khamenei's death?
The designation has probably been made, but in secret. Let's keep in mind, the question is not only who is going to succeed Khamenei, It is how fast the military, the IRGC, will be able to announce its new command structure. We know that during these attacks in the past less than 24 hours, many senior commanders of the IRGC and the military forces of Iran have been killed and they need to be replaced in order for a smooth transition We have to see whether they manage to sustain their attacks on Israel and U.S. bases across the Persian Gulf region. And maybe they are reluctant to announce that early because they remember the experience from Hassan Nasrallah's death in an Israeli bombing. So when the Lebanese Hezbollah announced Nasrallah's replacement,
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:53
2
What led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
0:53–1:50
3
How are Iranians reacting to the news of Khamenei's death?
1:50–2:59
4
What implications does Khamenei's death have for Iran's government?
2:59–3:47
5
Who is likely to succeed Khamenei as Iran's Supreme Leader?
3:47–4:44
6
What are the Revolutionary Guard's plans following Khamenei's death?
4:44–5:43
7
How have the US and Israel justified their strikes against Iran?
5:43–6:38
8
What are the potential global consequences of Iran's retaliatory actions?
6:38–29:26
Speakers
8 identifiedMore from Global News Podcast
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