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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday called the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei an "open declaration of war against Muslims" and said avenging his death is a "legitimate duty and right."
Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris broke with the Trump administration and demanded Congress act to stop the "unauthorized, arbitrary war."
Iran's National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, who survived the strikes despite being targeted, echoed Trump's own rhetoric, writing, X: "YESTERDAY IRAN FIRED MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND THEY DID HURT. TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE."
"The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shiism worldwide is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and particularly against Shiites, everywhere in the world," Pezeshkian said in a statement carried by state television.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime," Pezeshkian added.
Larijani, who was among the senior officials targeted in the strikes on the Defense Council meeting, survived the attack and issued a combative statement on X that deliberately mirrored Trump's own language.
His warning came as Iran continued its "True Promise 4" retaliatory operation, with six waves of attacks targeting U.S. bases in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, as well as Israeli military sites.
Iran's air force said it had bombed U.S. bases in Gulf states and Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).
Former Vice President Kamala Harris released a video statement opposing the strikes and calling on Congress to intervene.
"Donald Trump has dragged us into a war that the American people do not want. He has put American soldiers in danger," Harris said. "I am absolutely opposed to this arbitrary war, and everyone should be."
Harris called on the U.S. Congress to "act immediately" to halt what she described as Trump's "random decision," saying, "The American people do not want our sons and daughters entering this unauthorized, arbitrary war."
The criticism from the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee marks the most prominent domestic opposition to the operation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had earlier urged Trump to provide Congress with "critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat."
The war entered its second day with leaders on both sides issuing increasingly bellicose statements.
Trump earlier warned on Truth Social, "IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!" Larijani's response—deliberately echoing Trump's wording—signaled that Tehran is not backing down despite the killing of Khamenei and four top military commanders.
The Israeli Air Force said it dropped more than 1,200 munitions on Iran in the first 24 hours and struck the "heart of Tehran" for the first time on Sunday, targeting at least 30 sites.
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