ASHGABAT, April 9. /TASS/. The Iranian people are commemorating the 40th day since the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; this mourning has served as an impetus for strengthening national ideals, Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani stated.
"The Iranian people are commemorating the 40th day since the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, the wise Supreme Leader of the Revolution and mentor of morality and religious teachings. They are also mourning the 168 innocent schoolgirls and teachers who were killed in Minab. This grief has now become a powerful impetus for strengthening national ideals," the embassy’s press service quoted Rouzbehani as saying.
According to the diplomat, mourning ceremonies on the fortieth day after the death of martyrs in Iran’s modern history have always served as a means of transforming grief into a vibrant, creative, and enduring movement. "Today, after forty days of resilience, the stability of the Islamic Republic’s structure has been preserved, thanks to the swift replacement of the political and military elite. Moreover, the national will to resist the enemy has been strengthened," the ambassador noted.
The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were targeted. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.
On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Iran. According to him, the parties have resolved nearly all contentious issues, and Washington views Tehran’s 10-point proposal as a working basis for further negotiations. These include adherence to the principle of non-aggression, Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment within the country, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, the payment of compensation, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region. Trump stated that the decision was made based on Iran’s willingness to open the Strait of Hormuz. In turn, Tehran agreed to cease "defensive attacks" provided that no strikes are launched against Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is mediating between the parties, invited them to negotiate on April 10. According to the Iranian state broadcaster, the talks are expected to be face-to-face.