Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the killing of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family was “cynical” murder that violated all the norms of human morality and international law.
“Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law,” Putin said in a note to Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian released by the Kremlin
“In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations and bringing them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Putin said. Reuters
Alireza Arafi joins Iran’s leadership council
Dubai — Alireza Arafi was appointed on Sunday as the jurist member of Iran’s leadership council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader’s role until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader, ISNA news agency reported.
A cleric member of the Guardian Council, Arafi will be part of the temporary leadership council alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Reuters
IEA ‘keeping close eye on Middle East events’
Barcelona — The International Energy Agency (IEA) is actively monitoring events in the Middle East and the potential implications for global oil and gas markets and trade flows,” director Fatih Birol said in a post on X.
“Markets have been well supplied to date,” he said, adding that he is in contact with ministries from major producers in the region and governments about the situation. Reuters
Opec+ ponders bigger oil production increase
London/Moscow — Opec+ will consider a larger-than-expected oil output increase on Sunday, two Opec+ sources said after the US-Israeli war on Opec+ member Iran and Tehran’s retaliation led to shipment disruptions in the Middle East.
Opec+ has a history of raising oil output to cushion disruptions but analysts said the group presently has very little spare capacity to meaningfully add to supply, except for its leader, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Riyadh has been raising oil production and exports in recent weeks in preparation for US strikes on Iran, sources have said.
Oil prices jumped on Friday to $73 per barrel, the highest level since July, on fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East and supply disruptions through Hormuz, the world’s most important oil route amounting to more than 20% of global oil transit.
Middle East leaders have warned Washington that a war on Iran could lead to oil prices jumping to more than $100 per barrel, said veteran Opec analyst Helima Croft from RBC. Analysts from Barclays also said prices could rise to $100. Reuters
Thousands of flights disrupted in Middle East
Dubai — Global air travel remained heavily disrupted on Sunday as continued air strikes kept major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub, closed in one of the sharpest aviation shocks in recent years.
The main transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed, with the Gulf grappling with uncertainty after US and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Israel said it launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Sunday, while loud blasts were heard for a second day near Dubai and over Doha, after Iran launched retaliatory air attacks on the neighbouring Gulf states.
Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran’s attacks, while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit. Thousands of flights have been affected across the Middle East since the US first launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, according to data on FlightAware, a flight tracking platform. Reuters
Chinese embassy urges citizens to leave Israel
Beijing — China’s ministry of foreign affairs has expressed concern over US-Israeli strikes against Iran and called for an immediate ceasefire, urging all sides to avoid escalation and to resume dialogue and negotiation.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.
On Sunday, China’s embassy in Israel issued a notice advising Chinese citizens in Israel to evacuate to safer areas within the country as soon as possible or to leave for Egypt via the Taba border crossing.
In a commentary on Sunday, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency criticised the attack, calling it “brazen aggression against a sovereign nation” and “power politics and hegemony.” Reuters
US must set out legal basis for strikes, says Britain
London — Britain’s defence secretary, John Healey, on Sunday declined to explicitly back strikes by the US and Israel on Iran, saying it was for the US to “set out the legal basis of the action it took”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the air strikes on Saturday, Iran’s state media has confirmed.
Healey told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that Britain played no part in the strikes, but it did share the aim of the US and other allies in the region that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.
Asked if he believed the strikes were within international law, Healey said: “It is for the US to set out the legal basis of the action that it took.” Reuters
