Global figures denounce USIsraeli killing of Ayatollah Khamenei

Global figures denounce U.S.–Israeli killing of Ayatollah Khamenei

TEHRAN - Many world and regional leaders, political figures, and activists have strongly condemned the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes that led to the martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. They denounced Washington and Tel Aviv for a blatant act of aggression that flagrantly violated international norms and pushed the region toward a dangerous confrontation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday expressed condolences over Ayatollah Khamenei’s martyrdom in the U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran.

“Please accept my deepest condolences in connection with the assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran ... committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law,” Putin said in a message to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published by the Kremlin.

“In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a tremendous personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations,” he added.

China also denounced the killing of Iran’s Leader.

“The attack and killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“It tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it,” the statement added.

The U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran constitute “illegal aggression” and a violation of national sovereignty, a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The spokesperson said U.S. involvement was “within the range of expectations,” describing it as an inevitable outcome of what was called the “hegemonic and gangster-like” nature of the United States. The “war of aggression” by the U.S. and Israel is unacceptable under any circumstances, the statement said.

In Iraq, government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi on Sunday condemned the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, calling it a “flagrant aggression” and a “culpable act” that violated international norms.

“We offer our condolences to the Iranian people and the entire Islamic nation,” al-Awadi said in a statement, urging a halt to military operations that are escalating tensions across the region.

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, also extended condolences and called for unity.

“With deep sorrow, I extend my condolences to the noble Iranian people and all Muslims on the martyrdom” of Ayatollah Khamenei, whose “unique role in leading the Islamic Republic of Iran for many years is evident to all,” Ayatollah Sistani said in a statement.

“Through his martyrdom and the large-scale military assault on Iran, the enemies sought to inflict immense damage on this beloved country. The great Iranian people are expected to maintain their unity, stand firm, and thwart the aggressors’ sinister goals,” he added.

The Coordination Framework, a ruling coalition of Shiite groups in Iraq, said, “With deep sorrow and profound grief, we mourn the passing of the martyred leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.” The coalition added that his blood would remain a guiding light for future generations.

Influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also extended condolences to the Islamic world and declared a three-day period of mourning.

Yemen’s Houthi movement offered condolences to the Iranian people, with its top political body extending its “sincere condolences and deepest sympathy” over Ayatollah Khamenei’s death. The group described the killing as a flagrant violation of international laws and norms and an unjust attack on the Islamic nation.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said it is mourning Iran’s leader following his killing in a “heinous” U.S.–Israeli attack.

“He provided all forms of political, diplomatic, and military support to our people, our cause, and our resistance,” the group said in a statement. It added that the U.S. administration and Israel bear full responsibility for blatant aggression against the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and for the serious repercussions on regional security and stability.

In Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei as a “violation” of international law.

The “people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom” of Ayatollah Khamenei, Sharif wrote on social media.

“Pakistan also expresses concern over violation of the norms of international law,” he added.

In Lebanon, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri praised Ayatollah Khamenei as a devout leader and a scion of the Prophet’s family who dedicated his life to faith, resistance, and justice.

He described Iran’s Leader as a steadfast defender of truth against oppression. Berri extended his condolences to the Iranian people, Islamic religious authorities, and the global community of freedom-loving nations.

He honored Ayatollah Khamenei as a sincere and steadfast leader whose lifelong commitment to God and justice culminated in “the noblest form of martyrdom,” inspiring strength and pride in the Muslim community.

Pope Pope Leo XIV said he is following developments after the U.S.–Israeli strikes against Iran with “deep concern” and appealed for an end to a “spiral of violence.”

“I address a heartfelt appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pope said during his weekly address to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square following Sunday prayer.

“Stability and peace are not built through mutual threats or through weapons, but only through reasonable, genuine, and responsible dialogue,” he added.

The widespread condemnation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s killing underscores more than diplomatic disagreement — it reveals a deepening global divide over unilateral military action and the erosion of international legal norms. From Moscow to Beijing, from Baghdad to Islamabad and Beirut, leaders and movements alike framed the assassination not merely as a strike against an individual, but as an attack on Iran’s sovereignty and on the principle that states cannot be subjected to targeted killings by foreign powers.

For many across the Global South and the Muslim world, Ayatollah Khamenei symbolized resistance to Western dominance and unwavering support for oppressed nations, particularly Palestine. His martyrdom, in their view, transforms him from a political leader into a historic symbol of steadfastness against what they describe as U.S.–Israeli aggression.

Critics of Washington and Tel Aviv argue that such actions risk institutionalizing a dangerous precedent — one in which powerful states claim the authority to eliminate the leaders of sovereign nations without accountability. They warn that this approach not only destabilizes West Asia but also weakens the very international system the West claims to uphold.

Rather than isolating Iran, the assassination appears to have galvanized expressions of solidarity across multiple regions. The narrative emerging from many capitals suggests that coercion and military escalation will not diminish Iran’s regional influence but may instead reinforce its position as a central actor in the axis of resistance.

As tensions mount, the question confronting the international community is whether the rule of law will prevail over force, and whether dialogue will replace targeted violence. For supporters of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei’s legacy now enters what they call a new phase — one defined not by silence, but by resilience, unity, and continued resistance against external pressure.

source: tehrantimes.com