By Eddah Waithaka
A stunned and grieving Iranian Ambassador addressed the media in Nairobi on Monday, confirming that a joint US-Israeli military strike has killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and vowing that Tehran will unleash a “firm and decisive” retaliatory response.
Speaking at an emergency press conference at the Iranian Embassy, a visibly emotional Iranian Ambassador to Kenya, Ali Gholampour declared the attack a “cowardly and coordinated military aggression” that targeted the very soul of the Iranian nation.
“I stand before you not only as the Ambassador, but as a mourner,” said Gholampour, his voice heavy with emotion. “Our beloved Leader, the guiding light of our revolution and the guardian of our unity, has been martyred.”
According to the Ambassador, US and Israeli warplanes violated Iranian airspace in the early hours of Saturday, striking defensive infrastructure and non-military facilities.
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He confirmed the attack occurred on the tenth day of the holy month of Ramadan and on the cusp of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, a time of peace and family.
“The enemies of Iran believed that by assassinating our Leader, they would break our resolve,” Gholampour asserted. “They were mistaken.”
The Ambassador highlighted the bitter irony of the timing, revealing that the Islamic Republic was actively engaged in “genuine” diplomatic negotiations with the United States prior to the strike.
“We entered negotiations in good faith. And how were we answered? With bombs. With missiles. And with the blood of our Leader,” he stated, condemning the attack as a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter.
Invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter, Gholampour asserted Iran’s inherent right to self-defense. He declared that the Iranian Armed Forces will employ “all necessary capabilities” to confront the aggression.
“You have opened a door that you cannot close,” he warned the US and Israeli regimes directly. “All ensuing consequences are your responsibility.”
The Ambassador concluded with a defiant message to the Iranian people, insisting that while the Leader has fallen, the nation’s leadership and resolve live on.
“Our cause is just. And our response will be firm, decisive, and one that will make the aggressors regret the day they dared to strike the land of Cyrus,” he said.
Gholampour also called on the United Nations Security Council to convene immediately and take binding action to halt the aggression, warning that failure to do so signals “the beginning of the end of all international institutions.”
