Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, on Monday after he was killed in U.S.–Israeli air raids on 28 February.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the “smart choice” of the Assembly of Experts “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation”, according to the website of the President’s Office.
“Under your leadership, Iran will reach a brilliant horizon of lasting independence, scientific and technological progress, and all-round development,” he said in a letter addressed to the new leader.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that the election of Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s third leader “will strengthen national cohesion”.
“Under the current critical situation of the country, the election will undoubtedly guarantee the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of our beloved country and will strengthen national unity and cohesion,” the state IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
The armed forces, including the Revolutionary Guards as well as the Army, also expressed their support for the election of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, stressing their “complete obedience ... up to their last drop of blood,” to the leader, who is the commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces.
A ceremony will be held on Monday in a downtown square to express an oath of allegiance to the new leader.
Meanwhile, as the Israel–U.S. invasion of Iran entered its 10th day, a mass funeral was held at the capital’s Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in southern Tehran to bury civilians killed during the war.
Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Zahra Behrouz-Azar, in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, urged the world body to take decisive action over the Israel–U.S. military aggression against Iran, IRNA reported.
She called on the UN chief to submit “an independent and accurate report to the international community on the violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law by the U.S. government and the Israeli regime in their aggression against Iranian territory and its widespread impact on the situation of women and children in war-torn areas”.
Behrouz-Azar stressed the need to use all diplomatic tools and deterrent measures against the aggressors in order to stop the killings, aggression and war crimes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure as “chemical warfare” and “genocide.”
“Deliberate strikes on fuel storage facilities amount to chemical warfare against civilians,” he wrote in a post on X.
“These strikes constitute a war crime, crime against humanity and genocide - all at once.”
He also criticised the UN chief’s statements on the global economic fallout of the Israel–U.S. invasion of Iran, saying they neglected the human costs and moral aspects of the war.
“You are concerned about the ‘grave risk to the global economy’; what about the innocent civilians, including 175 little angels slaughtered in the city of Minab and many more killed and maimed across Iran during the past seven days of American and Israeli criminal acts?” he said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.
“The UN must be forthright and shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities regarding this illegal war on Iran,” Baghaei added.
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Pope Leo XIV has urged Angolans to move beyond decades of division, as tens of thousands gathered for Mass and prayers during his visit to the country. Speaking to large crowds near Luanda on Sunday (19 April), the pope described Angola as a “beautiful yet wounded country”.
Concerns grew on Monday (20 April) that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, due to expire on Tuesday, might not hold after Washington’s Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports, with Tehran vowing to retaliate.
Police said a gunman shot dead seven of his own children and another child early on Sunday morning in Shreveport in Louisiana. The victims were aged from about one and 14-years.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call on Sunday (19 April), highlighting the rapid expansion of bilateral ties and confirming plans for further high-level engagement.
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia and Russia have agreed to continue implementing previously reached agreements in the military-technical sphere following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Global leaders have gathered in Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with discussions centred on geopolitical uncertainty and international cooperation.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country could provide a “safe corridor” and “alternative route” for regional energy shipments, as supply disruptions continue to affect the wider Middle East.
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