European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was "a defining moment in Iran’s history".
A woman holds a poster with the picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as people gather after Khamenei was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was "a defining moment in Iran’s history".
"What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape," Kallas said on social media platform X.
"I’m in contact with partners, including those in the region that bear the brunt of Iran’s military actions, to find practical steps for de-escalation."
Khamenei was killed on Saturday, Iranian state media announced, in Israeli and U.S. air strikes that pulverised his central Tehran compound.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that she spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah and that Europe stands "in full solidarity" with Jordan after Iranian strikes.
"With Khamenei gone, there is renewed hope for the people of Iran. We must ensure that the future is theirs to claim and shape," Von der Leyen said X.
"At the same time, this moment carries a real risk of instability that could push the region into a spiral of violence."
Reporting by Lili Bayer
In a striking political declaration, Fahad Al Masri, President of the National Salvation Front in Syria, has issued a bold call for a strategic alliance between post-Assad Syria, the United States and Israel, a move that would represent a seismic shift in the region's diplomatic landscape.
Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire plan agreed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments in U.S.-mediated talks, as Israel kept up strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it wouldn't be withdrawing from the south.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a new ceasefire after U.S.-mediated talks, the Trump administration said, raising hopes for progress toward ending the wider U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.