INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  Ayatollah Khamenei's iron grip on power in Iran comes to an end Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed on the first day of massive US and Israeli air strikes on the country, US President Donald Trump has announced. The death of the 86-year-old ruler of the past three decades - one of the longest in the world - was later confirmed on Iranian state TV. Iran has had only two supreme leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It's an all-powerful office - the supreme leader is head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards. https://www.effectivegatecpm.com/a7aygqjic8?key=879d94862f96cb80fe1bea6d18539de4 Khamenei is not quite a dictator, positioned in the middle of a complex web of competing power centres, able to veto any matter of public policy and hand pick candidates for public office. Young Iranians have never experienced life without him in charge. State television has covered Khamenei's every move. His image is plaste...

Trump talks of ‘annihilation’, ‘elimination’ as US, Israel attack Iran https://www.effectivegatecpm.com/a7aygqjic8?key=879d94862f96cb80fe1bea6d18539de4 US president makes a number of other claims and predictions without evidence, as Iran promises a ‘crushing’ retaliation of its own. United States President Donald Trump has said the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran are aimed at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”. “Short time ago, US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” he said on Saturday. Trump made a number of other claims and predictions without any concrete evidence, as Iran promised a “crushing” retaliation of its own. Iran is preparing to “take revenge” on Israel and deliver “strong response”, State TV reported. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.” “We are going to annihilate their navy. We are...