Head of state assassinated on first day of war

The head of state of a nation gets assassinated on the first day of war. A startling yet bizarre beginning to any war. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who dedicated his life to waging war against Western forces, was assassinated in an Israeli missile strike that destroyed his palace. He was killed in an Israeli strike on the compound that houses Khamenei's residence and office at around 9 a.m. on Saturday. Not just his family members, but also Defence Minister Aziz Nasser Zadeh, Army Chief of Staff Abdul Rahim Mousavi, and the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, were decimated by the IDF. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also reportedly killed.

Iran retaliated against Israel and 12 Gulf countries. In Iran's retaliation, deaths were reported in Israel and the Gulf, although in small numbers. US President Trump said that the war will continue and may take a more ferocious tone. The entire West Asia is going through turbulent times, engulfed in the skirmish. The Gulf countries are home to crores of Indians, most of whom are Malayalees. The cancellation of air services and the raining missile attacks in this area have caused great concern in India, especially in Kerala. Relatives and friends of expatriates are having sleepless nights gathering the whereabouts of their loved ones who are mired in the war.

It was certain that US would attack Iran to administer regime change and dissociate the Islamic Republic from preparing nukes. While the US-Iran talks were continuing, Israel unexpectedly launched the first attack. As per reports, this is to be rated one of the most meticulous works ever carried out by the Israeli spy agency Mossad. The time and place of a secret meeting chaired by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and attended by important military commanders were leaked from highly reliable Iranian sources. They were rapidly implementing the strategy of attacking the lion in its den without respecting any international rules.

Most countries are studiously monitoring the proceedings to know if the attack would engender an economic consequence across the world, and whether it will pave the way for a third world war. If the conflict escalates, India will have to embark on a massive effort to evacuate Indians working in West Asia. Therefore, it is expected that the central government will take urgent consultations, decisions and preparations on this issue.

Iran's nuclear program dates back to the Shah's rule. But 47 years ago, the Shah was forced to flee the country after a popular uprising led by religious leader Ayatollah Khomenei. Then, the country's supreme leader, Khomenei, declared the nuclear program un-Islamic and suspended it. It was a decision that allowed Khomenei to lead the country peacefully. But the eight-year Iran-Iraq war turned everything upside down. It was only when Iraq used biological and chemical weapons against Iran that the country changed its policy to arrive back at the single solution to the dilemma — Nukes.

The oil wealth proved that money was not a problem. But the technology and raw minerals, including uranium, were missing. At this stage, Iran received the necessary assistance for its nuclear programs mainly from Russia and Pakistan. Western media, including the New York Times, reported that Abdul Qadeer Khan, known as the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, had received the money and handed over nuclear secrets and sensitive equipment to Iran. It was such news that earned Dr Khan the nickname "Merchant of Death".

On February 4, 2004, Dr Khan appeared in front of Pakistani television cameras in tears and publicly confessed that he had handed over nuclear secrets to Libya, North Korea, and Iran. However, the Pakistani government decided to grant Khan a full pardon!

Even after this, Pakistan continued to give necessary assistance for Iran’s nuclear development. A covert relationship exists between the two countries to this date. India is well aware of this liaison. Former Presidents Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have repeatedly declared that they will wipe Israel off the world map. Only a nuclear bomb can wipe a country off the map. Therefore, destroying Iran's nuclear program is necessary for Israel's survival.

Iran’s secret nuclear facilities were a thorn in the US’s eyes for decades. Months ago, United States abruptly called off the attack after Iran fired missiles at American military bases in Qatar. Israel never saw this coming and was visibly outraged. It didn't take months for the Zionists to start the attack and convince US to join them. The goal is to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons research facilities in a way that will take at least another half-century to restart. Trump's statement that the war is likely to be prolonged should also be read in conjunction with this.