The United States is "drunk with arrogance right now", said Jeffrey Sachs, a prominent professor at Columbia University in New York, warning of the global ramifications of the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran's state media confirmed Sunday that Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday. The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.
In an interview with Ching Global Television Network (CGTN) on Sunday, Sachs cautioned that the joint military action risks igniting a broader Middle East conflict with potentially global ramifications.
"This is a disaster, of course. The assassination of a leader of another country is not a light matter. This is a war that is likely to become a generalized war of the Middle East, and it could spread to a global war. The United States and Israel have lit the fuse to a complete disaster, and they've done it in an absolutely brutal way. This is absolutely primitive. What will happen, I would think most likely is that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, will effectively be in control during this war, and I would expect the war to continue," Sachs.
The professor sharply criticized the strategic rationale behind the operation, describing current U.S. foreign policy as dangerously overconfident.
"The CIA and Mossad think that by killing the leader and a few other leaders, they will be able to bring about a docile regime. This is their idea of foreign policy, which is assassinations to try to take control of another government. I am very skeptical of this. It almost always fails. The United States is drunk with arrogance right now. It has invaded Venezuela, it thinks it's about to invade Cuba, it has now attacked Iran. It thinks that it runs the world. It's very dangerous, very delusional, and leading to more and more violence around the world," he said.
US scholar warns of global ramifications after Khamenei's assassination
The latest round of Iran's retaliatory attacks had injured 16 Qatari citizens by early Sunday, as the country intercepted more than 60 missiles and over ten drones launched from Iran, according to official data.
From Saturday night to Sunday morning, multiple explosions were heard southwest of the capital city of Doha as Qatar's air defense systems repeatedly activated to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.
According to data released by Qatar's Ministry of Defense, since the attacks began on Saturday, Qatar has been targeted by 65 missiles and 12 drones.
Among these, 63 missiles and 11 drones were successfully intercepted before reaching their intended targets while two missiles struck the U.S. military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and one drone hit an early warning radar facility in the country.
Qatar's Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that the attacks had wounded 16 of its citizens, all due to scattered missile debris, with limited property damage in some areas.
The ministry urged citizens to remain indoors whenever possible, avoid non-essential outings, and steer clear of any unidentified objects.
Despite Sunday being the first working day of the week in Qatar, a noticeable decrease in vehicles and pedestrians was observed on the streets.
Following the Saturday attack, Qatar closed its airspace and territorial waters, suspended all public events and gatherings, and shifted all schools to remote learning.
Except for military, security, and healthcare systems, most government agencies implemented remote work arrangements.
Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry also advised the private sector to adopt remote work practices where possible.
Meanwhile, the Qatari government continues to send signals of stability.
The Ministry of Defense said it possesses full capabilities to protect national security, with the current security situation remaining stable and under control.
The Interior Ministry announced that security and civil defense forces have entered a state of full emergency readiness, capable of responding to any emergency.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry stressed that domestic supplies of daily necessities are enough to meet public demand.
Iranian attacks wound 16 Qatari citizens: Interior Ministry
