Iran’s assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused to leave his Tehran residence and move to a safe location or bunker amid airstrikes by coalition forces from the United States and Israel. Despite repeated appeals from his aides, the supreme leader stayed at his official residence in Tehran, saying he would not move until the safety of all 90 million Iranians was guaranteed.
Reacting to Khamenei’s rejection of the bunker, Iran’s Supreme Leader Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi in India said Khamenei was martyred in the month of Ramadan, which was the best gift from Allah. He also noted that Khamenei has long aspired to achieve martyrdom as the ultimate honor.
"I remember a few months ago he repeatedly said, ‘I am old now, I am 86 years old. I am afraid that I will die in the hospital, in an accident or from fever. That is not good for me. I would rather be a martyr,'” Ilahi said. "The martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei and the shedding of his blood are more valuable than the continuation of his life. His martyrdom first brought unity between Shia and Sunni Muslims,” he added.