Pezeshkian Condemns Assassinations, Vows Iran’s Path Will Continue

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian extended condolences to the nation following the martyrdom of Minister of Intelligence Esmaeel Khatib, who was assassinated in a US–"Israeli" targeted attack.

In a message posted on X on Wednesday, Pezeshkian described the killings as a “cowardly assassination” that claimed the lives of senior officials, including Esmaeel Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, along with several of their family members and associates.

He offered condolences to “the great people of Iran on the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the Secretary of the Supreme Council, and military and Basij commanders,” killed in coordinated US–"Israeli" strikes.

In a separate statement, Pezeshkian said the martyrdom of Larijani was “bitter and unexpected,” but stressed that the steadfastness of the Iranian people and their pursuit of “ultimate victory” would make Zionist criminals regret the war imposed on Iran. “I am certain their path will continue stronger than ever,” he added.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in a mass funeral procession in Tehran, paying their respects to Dr. Larijani and General Soleimani. The comemoration drew one of the largest public turnouts in recent weeks, with crowds filling the streets from early morning.

Iranian authorities have condemned the assassinations as cowardly acts and vowed decisive retaliation.

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched large-scale overnight strikes targeting more than 100 sites in Tel Aviv.

The escalation follows what Iranian officials described as a large-scale, unprovoked US–"Israeli" war launched on February 28, which included the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Sayyed Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders.

Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was among those killed on the first day of the US–"Israeli" military aggression.