Later, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani said that the country was "exercising its inherent and lawful right of self-defense," in response to "aggression and large-scale war."

At first dismissed as weak and indecisive, Khamenei seemed an unlikely choice for supreme leader after the death of the charismatic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Pahlavi expressed immense gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his role in the operation and for his words of encouragement to Iran's citizens.

This year, Shabbat Zachor frames the chaos. The Torah demands that Jews recognize the pattern, protect the vulnerable, and refuse to forget who they are.

The Iranian reports did not explicitly mention President Masoud Pezeshkian's ability to carry out his political duties.