Iran’s government has issued a stark warning to the United States, saying Washington has crossed a “very dangerous red line” after a joint U.S.–Israeli military strike resulted in the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior leaders. Iranian officials have framed the U.S. action as an extreme provocation with deeply dangerous implications for regional security.

In an interview with international media, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei was not only an assault on Iran’s sovereignty, but also a breach of global diplomatic norms — a line that Tehran believes should never have been crossed. “President Trump has crossed a very dangerous red line,” Khatibzadeh stated, adding that the Islamic Republic “has no option but to respond.”

He emphasized that many Shiite followers throughout the Middle East and beyond are expected to react emotionally and politically to the death of their spiritual leader, and Iran will pursue what it sees as its legitimate right to respond to what it considers unjust aggression.

Iranian authorities have also reportedly pressed Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases to reconsider their stationing of American troops, framing these installations as threats to regional security and Iranian sovereignty — further heightening tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The warning comes as part of a broader cycle of escalating retaliation, including missile and drone strikes by Iran on U.S. and allied military bases across the Middle East. Iranian parliamentarians and senior commanders have publicly labeled U.S. and Israeli leaders as responsible for provoking “devastating consequences.”

Regional diplomatic efforts to calm the crisis have been overshadowed by the growing military confrontation, and world leaders continue to call for de-escalation as the risk of further violence remains high.