ASHGABAT, March 16. /TASS/. The assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a result of US and Israeli strikes, has not fractured Iranian society; rather, it has united the nation, according to Iran's ambassador to Turkmenistan, Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani.

"They [the US and Israel] aimed to weaken our people, to instill fear," Rouzbehani stated. "They believed that killing the Supreme Leader would diminish our resolve. However, that was a miscalculation. The resilience and strength displayed by our citizens prove otherwise. Even when residential areas were targeted, our people remained steadfast, taking to the streets in support. The US thought that killing our leader would break us, but in reality, it has only strengthened our unity."

During a briefing at the Iranian embassy, Rouzbehani emphasized that the Iranian government has maintained its course following the assassination. "The leadership remains unchanged. A new Supreme Leader has been swiftly appointed and has publicly reaffirmed that our government will not be weakened," he asserted. "The US has jeopardized regional stability and caused damage to the global economy."

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats allegedly emanating from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking targets in Israel. US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also hit. The strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other key figures in the leadership.