In a shocking act that sets dangerous precedents, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family were brutally assassinated on Saturday. The US and Israel have now established a precedent by killing the head of an independent nation in cold blood. International law was conspicuously absent from this egregious crime.
Khamenei presided over Iran for decades, leading through a complex period marked by war with Iraq, prolonged economic sanctions, civil unrest, and intense tensions with the US and Israel. His assassination is mirrored in similar acts of ‘decapitation strikes’ carried out against Hezbollah’s Hasan Nasrallah and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh.
An interim council now governs Iran, revealing a nation prepared for such worst-case scenarios. Khamenei was a revered spiritual guide to millions of Muslims worldwide; his death ignited protests in countries like Pakistan where Islamic beliefs hold strong cultural weight. The violence at the US consulate in Karachi underscored the severity, with at least ten people killed.
Hostilities have continued since then—targets hit in Iran—and retaliatory strikes from Gulf nations. If this aggressive stance by the US and Israel persists, the situation is unlikely to ease soon. While Iranian anger is anticipated, restraint should be shown, avoiding attacks on neighboring countries where the regime could suffer further isolation. Instead of resorting to force, Iran should use diplomatic channels at international forums to exert pressure on those responsible.
Pakistan’s reaction illustrates broader concerns; millions here are deeply linked culturally and religiously with Iran as Shia marja followed Khamenei’s edicts. The Global South, including other Muslim states, must stand alongside Iran in its condemnation of the gross violation of sovereignty and responsibility towards the perpetrators. They should remember that they might be next in Israel and Trump administration’s sights.
The US and Tel Aviv’s adventurism has only sown chaos across the Middle East; it is up to people of a country to decide their preferred form of government. The two nations are now accountable for their lethal actions, which have intensified conflict rather than resolving issues.