Top Adviser To Iranian Supreme Leader Dies After Israeli Airstrikes
There was confusion as Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died in the hospital following Israeli airstrikes across Iran, Iranian media reported on Saturday.
His death marks a significant moment in the unfolding crisis between Iran and Israel, which has intensified in recent days.
The Israeli military confirmed ongoing operations, stating, “At this hour, we are striking Iran,” and warned of further assaults, saying, “Iranian attacks are not behind us.” It added, “We will continue to attack and destroy Iranian surface-to-surface missile sites.”
Shamkhani, who previously served as Iran’s top national security official for a decade, was instrumental in the China-brokered reconciliation talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
In Cyprus, the closest European Union member to the Middle East, authorities have activated the “Estia plan,” a humanitarian evacuation protocol.
President Nikos Christodoulides said: “The Republic of Cyprus, I repeat, is not involved in any way in this conflict. Our role is purely humanitarian, and we are ready, we have activated the ‘Estia plan’, in case the need arises to play our role, which is purely humanitarian.”
He confirmed that Cyprus’s national security council had received assurances from the UK that none of its military bases on the island, including the RAF base at Akrotiri and the intelligence facility at Dhekelia, had been used since Israeli strikes began on Friday.
Nevertheless, Tehran has warned it would target UK, US, and French military assets should any of those nations interfere with its retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
In Limassol, a southern Cypriot port city, witnesses reported seeing Iranian missiles in the sky late Friday as they flew toward Israel.
Local authorities have prepared defence shelters and launched a mobile app to help residents find the nearest safe locations.
The violence, which erupted after Israeli strikes on Iran on Friday, is the latest chapter in a crisis that has already devastated countless lives and sparked fear throughout the region.
