Emmet Oliver looks at the fallout in Iran, the Middle East and the Gulf after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by a joint US-Israel military strike
This morning, Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the destruction of his compound in Tehran by US and Israeli missile attacks.
His death is the first high-profile death following the start of the second US-Israel joint military strike operation named ‘Epic Fury’.
Khamenei was the last living figure to have been present during the formation of the 47-year old Islamic Republic of Iran.
His death leaves an unprecedented gap in leadership in the country and its wider region.
“Speaking to friends, family and sources across the country, many are celebrating today,” global affairs journalist and author of The Heartbeat of Iran, Tara Kangarlou told Newstalk Sunday’s Emmet Oliver.
“I will say with confidence that the majority of the public are quite jubilant.They see an end to a figure who they call a dictator. But I think what awaits is critical, no one really knows."
An Iranian flag is pictured at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Picture by: Li Muzi.Asked how Iranian people felt about the strike and the way it had been carried out by the United States and Israel she noted that Iranian people are mostly extremely resentful towards the regime but extremely sophisticated in their distrust of outside forces.
“A woman I spoke to said ‘there is a sea of blood between the Iranian public and the regime,” she told Newstalk.
“Iranian people are quite smart and sophisticated, they’ve seen what happened in the region, in Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and they don't trust outside forces.
“None of them believe that Trump and Israel are doing this because they actually genuinely care about the well-being of the Iranian people.
Reza Pahlavi, a son of the Shah, has made clear his intentions to return to Iran to lead the country in the wake of the Ayatollah’s death.
“It is public knowledge that Mr. Pahlavi is supported by Israel,” Tara Kangarlou told Newstalk Sunday’s Emmet Oliver.
Paul Brandus from West Wing Reports said the military strike was the biggest gamble of President Trump’s second term and that many supporters of the ‘Make American Great Again’ clan remain skeptical of it.
“Trump is going into a country three times as big as Iraq, he’s really opened Pandora’s box and a lot of his base is really angry about this because there are problems at home,” he said.
President Donald Trump. Picture by: Julia Demaree.“Clearly, the airspace was going to close,” Travel journalist Simon Calder said.
“These three airports of Dubai International, busiest global hub in the world, Etihad in Abu Dhabi, and of course Qatar Airways home at Doha, have about two and a half thousand flights every day.
“That corresponds to half a million people not going anywhere.”
All flights destined for Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi flown by Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad were cancelled last night and this morning.
“Irish travellers who are in those places on holiday in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar will be very, very keen to get away. But at the moment, it's difficult to see what the exit strategy is,” he added.
“I suspect that when things reopen, you will see an awful lot of one way only flights. I've just spoken to a couple who have spent the night in an underground car park sleeping on concrete because they obviously wanted to be sheltered.”
