\nWorld, Leaders, React, Cautiously, USIsrael<\/span>
\nWorld Leaders React Cautiously to US-Israel Strikes and Khamenei\u2019s Killing: A Global Divide Emerges.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
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By Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com<\/strong> In the wake of the stunning joint US-Israeli military operation that confirmed the death of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the international community finds itself at a crossroads. The strikes, part of what the US has dubbed \u201cOperation Epic Fury,\u201d targeted Iranian military infrastructure, nuclear-related sites, and high-level leadership compounds, resulting in Khamenei\u2019s reported demise alongside other senior figures. President Donald Trump announced the killing on Truth Social, calling it \u201cjustice served\u201d and a \u201csingle greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,\u201d while vowing continued operations \u201cas long as necessary\u201d to achieve peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n As explosions continue to echo across Tehran and retaliatory Iranian missiles rain down on Israel and US-allied Gulf states, world leaders have responded with a mix of cautious diplomacy, outright condemnation, measured support, and urgent calls for de-escalation. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session late Saturday, where Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres condemned the escalation as a violation of international law and the UN Charter, warning that the region risks \u201ca chain of events that nobody can control.\u201d He urged an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to negotiations.<\/p>\n The responses reveal deep geopolitical fractures. Western allies of the US have largely adopted restrained language, emphasizing dialogue while avoiding direct criticism of Washington or Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, traditional backers of Iran\u2014Russia and China\u2014have issued sharp rebukes, framing the strikes as unlawful aggression and assassination.<\/p>\n European Powers Urge Restraint and Talks<\/strong><\/p>\n European leaders have coalesced around calls for diplomacy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement expressing concern over the potential for a \u201cnew, extensive war.\u201d They stressed that their nations were not involved in the strikes but remain in close contact with the US, Israel, and regional partners. Macron, speaking at an emergency security meeting, reiterated that France was \u201cneither warned nor involved\u201d and pushed for resumed negotiations.<\/p>\n Britain\u2019s Defense Secretary John Healey offered a nuanced view in BBC remarks: \u201cNo one will mourn\u201d Khamenei\u2019s death, given his regime\u2019s record, but he questioned the legal basis of the action and expressed alarm at Iran\u2019s \u201cincreasingly indiscriminate attacks.\u201d He noted British personnel in Bahrain were perilously close to strike zones, highlighting the risks to allies.<\/p>\n The European stance reflects a delicate balancing act: sympathy for long-standing concerns over Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions and proxy activities, tempered by fears of uncontrolled escalation in an already volatile region.<\/p>\n Russia and China Deliver Strong Condemnations<\/strong><\/p>\n Russia has been among the most vocal critics. President Vladimir Putin described Khamenei\u2019s killing as a \u201ccynical murder\u201d that violated \u201call norms of human morality and international law.\u201d In messages to Iran\u2019s acting leadership, Putin offered \u201cdeepest condolences\u201d and labeled the strikes a \u201cpre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression.\u201d Russia\u2019s Foreign Ministry echoed this, accusing the US and Israel of using nuclear concerns as a pretext for regime change.<\/p>\n China\u2019s response was similarly forceful. The Foreign Ministry expressed \u201chigh concern\u201d over the strikes, calling for an immediate cessation of military action and respect for Iran\u2019s \u201csovereignty, security and territorial integrity.\u201d Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in talks with his Russian counterpart, deemed the killing of a sovereign state\u2019s leader \u201cunacceptable\u201d and a \u201cgrave violation.\u201d Beijing urged dialogue to prevent broader instability, positioning itself as a proponent of stability amid its strategic ties to Tehran.<\/p>\n Analysts note that both Moscow and Beijing view the events as a setback to their alliances with Iran, part of a broader anti-Western axis. Some commentators have even suggested Russia and China are the \u201creal losers,\u201d as the strikes disrupt a key partner in countering US influence.<\/p>\n Support from Key Allies<\/strong><\/p>\n Not all reactions were condemnatory. Australia and Canada expressed open support for the US-led action, aligning with their longstanding positions against Iran\u2019s nuclear program and regional destabilization efforts. These endorsements underscore the divide between core US allies and those more aligned with multipolar visions led by Russia and China.<\/p>\n Gulf states hosting US bases\u2014such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan\u2014have remained largely silent or focused on condemning Iran\u2019s retaliatory strikes on their territories. Their restraint may stem from relief over weakened Iranian capabilities, balanced against fears of becoming further entangled.<\/p>\n UN Security Council Clashes and Broader Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n At the UN, the atmosphere was tense. US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended the strikes as targeted actions to dismantle Iran\u2019s missile threats, proxy networks, and nuclear pursuits, ensuring the regime \u201cnever ever can threaten the world with a nuclear weapon.\u201d Israel\u2019s representative echoed this, framing the operation as necessary to counter an \u201cexistential threat.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, reported hundreds of civilian casualties\u2014including from a school strike\u2014and asserted Tehran\u2019s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The session highlighted the Council\u2019s paralysis: no unified resolution emerged, with divisions mirroring global fault lines.<\/p>\n The death of Khamenei, Iran\u2019s paramount leader since 1989, has profound implications. Iran has declared 40 days of mourning and formed an interim council under constitutional provisions to manage succession. Vows of fierce retaliation from surviving officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and IRGC leaders, suggest the conflict may intensify before any de-escalation.<\/p>\n As markets reel from oil price spikes and airlines suspend regional flights, the world watches anxiously. Will diplomacy prevail, or has the killing of Khamenei ignited a wider conflagration? European calls for talks offer a narrow path forward, but with Trump doubling down and Iran pledging vengeance, the margin for error is razor-thin.<\/p>\n Juba Global News Network will continue monitoring developments as this historic crisis unfolds. Stay informed at JubaGlobal.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com March 1, 2026 In the wake of the stunning joint US-Israeli military operation that confirmed the death of Iran<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6457"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22291,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6457\/revisions\/22291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
March 1, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3335.jpeg\")
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