Tehran, March 1 (NationPress) The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has pledged to retaliate against the "murderers" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after state television confirmed his passing. They assured that this response will be the "most ferocious offensive operation in history" aimed at the US and Israel.

In a statement shared on its official Telegram account, the IRGC declared, "The hand of revenge from the Iranian nation will not relent until severe and decisive punishment is meted out to the perpetrators of the Imam of the Ummah's murder."

The statement emphasized that the IRGC, along with the Armed Forces and Basij forces, will "vigorously continue the legacy of their leader, confronting both internal and external threats, and delivering what they termed a lesson-giving punishment to aggressors of the Islamic homeland."

The Iranian government has also cautioned that this "great crime will not go unanswered."

Khamenei's death occurred during a significant attack orchestrated by the US and Israel, representing a pivotal moment in the 46-year Shia-theocratic governance, as Tehran's response ignited conflicts across the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the demise of the 86-year-old cleric, bringing an end to his 36-year iron-fisted rule over Iran.

Trump remarked on Truth Social, "He could not evade our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems, and in close collaboration with Israel, there was nothing he or the other leaders who perished alongside him could do."

As of Sunday evening, Iran has not confirmed Khamenei's death, leaving the country’s future uncertain without any information regarding who might assume leadership, despite the presence of both civilian and military leaders.

It remains unclear if other civilian or military leaders were also killed in the attack.

In immediate retaliation, Tehran launched a barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Kuwait as soon as the US-Israel assault commenced.

The attack by Trump began shortly after midnight in Washington—daytime in Iran—just two days following inconclusive negotiations in Geneva, facilitated by Oman.

On Friday, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that the US was not achieving its objective—a complete cessation of uranium enrichment.

Both Oman and Iran had claimed to have made progress in those discussions.

Last month, Iran experienced widespread public protests triggered by inflation that challenged the regime, which were brutally suppressed by the government, reportedly resulting in thousands of deaths.

Trump intensified the confrontation with Iran, escalating from efforts to halt its nuclear program to calls for regime change, unleashing the attack aimed at dismantling the religio-political and military leadership.

Reports, along with videos on X, indicated that some Iranians celebrated Khamenei's reported death, yet there were no signs of a widespread uprising.

The casualty figures from the attacks remain unclear.