Khamenei killing complied with laws of war, Israel says

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Late Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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Israel on Thursday declared that the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei complied with international law governing armed conflict, describing him as the commander-in-chief of the Iranian military and a legitimate target.

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The Middle East war that began on Saturday was triggered by coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran, including one that killed the Iranian supreme leader.

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Israel has claimed the strikes were essential to safeguard its own national security, in part because Iran was reconstituting its nuclear weapons programme in a new, underground facility.

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Israel’s military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said Thursday the strike that killed Khamenei “complied with international law”.

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“Under the international law of armed conflict, military commanders directing armed forces during war can constitute lawful military targets,” Shoshani said on X.

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“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”.

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“During the ongoing conflict, he directed the use of force against Israel and oversaw the funding, arming, and coordination of the regime’s terror proxies…

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“Neutralizing 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.

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Iranian media have reported that Khamenei’s wife, son-in-law, and two grandchildren who were minors also died in the strike that killed the ayatollah.

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Iran has responded to his killing by launching waves of missile attacks on Israel and targets across the Middle East, including US military and diplomatic sites.

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Israel and the United States have continued to bomb targets in Iran.

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AFP

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