ALBAWABA - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the country will be in a 5-day mourning period over the assassination of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike on Beirut on Friday.
"I offer my condolences for the martyrdom of the great Nasrallah and his martyred companions and announce five days of public mourning in Islamic Iran," Khamenei said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has declared three days of mourning for Hassan Nasrallah, the longstanding leader of Hezbollah, who was killed by an Israeli air attack in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The office of interim Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement on Saturday stating that formal mourning will begin on Monday, with flags flying at half-mast on public buildings.
Mikati added that his country was under threat as a result of Nasrallah's assassination, and he condemned Friday's air raids in Beirut's Dahiyeh area, which also killed Lebanese civilians.
Mikati urged the Lebanese people to "stand united in the face of aggression" in a televised message, as the country stands on the verge of a humanitarian and economic disaster.
According to the announcement, public offices will also be closed on the day of Nasrallah's funeral. However, Hezbollah has yet to declare a date for the funeral.
Israeli military launched large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon earlier this week, killing hundreds and displacing thousands. Tensions escalated when Israel carried out a strike which led to the assassination of Nasrallah and other officers in Beirut on Friday. Israeli soldiers continued to strike portions of Lebanon's capital on Saturday.
