Headlines
Iran Confirms Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Dead after US-Israeli Attacks
Iranian state media have confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at his office in the Israeli-US attacks on Iran, following earlier reports of his killing by US and Israeli officials.
A 40-day mourning period for the longtime Iranian leader has been announced.
The Sunday confirmation comes after Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies initially reported that Khamenei remained “steadfast and firm in commanding the field”.
US President Donald Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform earlier in the day that 86-year-old Khamenei was killed in the joint US-Israeli strikes, which began early on Saturday.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump wrote.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” he said. “Hopefully, the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”
While Iranian authorities have long planned for the possible killing of Khamenei in the event of a war with the US and Israel, his assassination injects new uncertainty into an unfolding conflict that has already spurred concerns that fighting could escalate and expand further.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier also claimed that there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed.
Additionally, the Reuters news agency, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, had reported that Khamenei’s body had been located.
Khamenei has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, succeeding the founder of the post-shah Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who steered Iran’s 1979 revolution.
Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera that Iran “has a plan” in place in the event that Khamenei’s death is confirmed.
“There will probably be a council that will be set up to run the country. It may already have been running the country, as far as we know,” she said.
Trump signals continued strikes
Saturday’s strikes on Iran targeted 24 provinces, killing at least 201 people, according to Iranian media reports, citing the Red Crescent.
Among the attacks, Israel struck two schools in Iran, killing at least 108 people at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the southern city of Minab, and two others at a school east of the capital, Tehran.
Netanyahu said in his address that many “senior figures” had been “eliminated” in the wave of attacks targeting senior leaders, as Trump called for the government to be toppled.
Israel, Netanyahu said, had killed “commanders in the Revolutionary Guard and senior officials in the nuclear programme. And we will continue.”
Trump indicated on his Truth Social post that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” of Iran would go on “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary”.
Iran’s counterattacks on Saturday triggered air-defence interceptions in several countries where airbases with US assets are hosted, including Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
On Saturday evening, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the third and fourth waves of “retaliatory” strikes on US and Israeli positions were ongoing, according to a statement carried by the IRNA news agency.
Guterres calls for de-escalation
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that he deeply regretted that an opportunity for diplomacy had been “squandered”.
“Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world,” he told the 15-member body. “I call for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities”.
Addressing the Security Council, Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the US and Israel had “initiated an unprovoked and premeditated aggression”, attacking “civilian populated areas in multiple large cities of Iran, where millions of people reside”.
“This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime, and a crime against humanity,” he said.
China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, said Beijing was very concerned by “the sudden escalation of regional tensions”.
Russia’s ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the US-Israeli air strikes, demanding that the US and Israel “immediately cease their aggressive actions”.
Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the death of former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu, one of the heroes of the country’s historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
He was 62 years old.
Segun Odegbami confirmed the sad news in an emotional message, revealing that the former midfielder passed away around 4:00 a.m. after battling for his life for five days in hospital.
Fondly nicknamed “Youngest Millionaire,” Nwosu earned the tag as the youngest member of the Nigerian squad that won the country’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980.Born on 14 June 1963 in Imo State, Nwosu rose to prominence as one of Nigeria’s most gifted midfielders during the golden era of Nigerian football in the 1980s. Known for his creativity, dribbling ability and tactical intelligence, he quickly established himself as a key figure in the national team.
He made about 60 appearances for Nigeria between 1980 and 1991, scoring eight goals and featuring in several major tournaments, including the 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1988 Africa Cup of Nations. While Nigeria won the continental title in 1980, the team finished runners-up in both the 1984 and 1988 editions.
Nwosu also represented Nigeria at the 1980 Olympic Games, where he scored the country’s only goal in the tournament.
At club level, the midfield maestro enjoyed a distinguished career, playing for several notable teams including New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and ACB Lagos.
He also had spells abroad with ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
After retiring from active football in the early 1990s, Nwosu moved into coaching and player development. He served as an assistant coach with Nigeria’s national teams, including the side that won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
He also worked with clubs such as Union Bank FC and Gateway United.
In recent years, the former midfielder battled health challenges, including a stroke that left him requiring medical care and support from members of the football community.
His passing marks the loss of one of the stars of Nigeria’s first continental triumph and a player widely admired for his flair and influence in midfield during the formative years of the Super Eagles.
Tributes are already pouring in from across the Nigerian football fraternity as the nation remembers a man whose name remains etched in the country’s sporting history.
The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has dismissed claims made by presidential spokesman, Daniel Bwala, alleging that the former Labour Party presidential candidate attempted to contact him.
The group described the allegation as false and politically motivated.
POMR said the statement became necessary to prevent the public from being misled by what it called unfounded claims circulating in the political space.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Ibrahim Umar, the group strongly rejected the allegation and accused Bwala of spreading misleading narratives about the former Anambra State governor.
The statement said, “Normally, we would not dignify Barr Bwala’s baseless accusations with a reply, given his well-documented history of dishonesty. However, we feel it is necessary to address this matter for the benefit of the public, who may be misled.”
According to the group, Obi has consistently maintained a clear distance from individuals and practices associated with what it described as transactional politics.
POMR said the former governor has built his political reputation around accountability, transparency and public service, adding that he does not engage in political dealings driven by personal gains or financial inducements.
The statement further said, “Our principal, Peter Obi, has made it clear that he excludes individuals like Bwala from his political activities and any form of transactional politics that sustain people like him in political circles.
“The Peter Obi that Nigerians know and appreciate will never engage in such practices. He would rather allocate resources to provide desks for children in Bwala’s village than pay him to concoct falsehoods for public consumption.”
The group also stressed that Obi’s political philosophy revolves around encouraging citizens to believe in a shared vision of national development rather than paying individuals to defend his political ambitions.
POMR said the former presidential candidate prefers persuasion and engagement with citizens who share the belief that Nigeria requires urgent reforms in governance.
It added, “Obi’s approach is rooted in the pursuit of good governance and the creation of a better society for all. He does not pay people to promote a cause; instead, he invites them to join him in believing in a shared vision.
“His ‘engagement’ focuses on persuasion, emphasizing the urgent need for a collective effort to rescue our nation. He welcomes those who choose to join him voluntarily, driven by the same deep-seated convictions.”
The group also called on politicians it accused of promoting transactional politics to rethink their approach and focus on national development rather than personal interests.
It concluded by urging critics to keep Obi out of what it described as politically motivated narratives.
“For the umpteenth time, we call on Bwala and others like him to count Peter Obi out of their greed, repent, and join us in the quest for a new Nigeria that is indeed POssible.”
Iran says no one can exclude it from the World Cup later this year, in response to President Donald Trump’s warning that their “life and safety” would be at risk in the US.
The Iranian team also said in the social media post on Thursday that the United States should not be allowed to co-host the tournament if it could not guarantee the safety of the teams taking part.
Trump’s comments came just two days after he told FIFA chief Gianni Infantino the Iranian players would be welcome despite the Middle East war.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
Iran’s team responded: “The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual, country.
“Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament.
“Certainly no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that can be excluded is one that merely carries the title of ‘host’ yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event.”
The war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has thrown into doubt Iran’s participation at this summer’s tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump later posted another message on his social media platform to emphasise that the event would be safe for players and spectators from around the world.
“The United States of America looks very much forward to hosting the FIFA World Cup,” Trump wrote. “Ticket sales are ‘through the roof!’”
AFP
