Vancouver anti-war protesters rally against US, Israeli attacks on Iran

Crowds of anti-war protesters took to the streets of Vancouver in Canada on Saturday to rally against the attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran.

At one gathering, protesters chanted the slogan "Hands off Iran" and held placards reading "No War on Iran."

Multiple anti-war organizations gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver on the day, condemning the country for its operations in the Middle East that have harmed innocent civilians.

"There are groups all across Canada standing up against war on Iran today," said Janine Solanki, a protester.

Some protesters said they were shocked by the attacks and criticized the U.S. for using negotiations as a pretense for launching military attacks.

"I'm against the U.S. and Israeli intervention unprovoked into Iran. I think it was a rather shocking action to bomb a country that you're actively working on negotiations with," said Alec Vera, a protester.

"Unfortunately, this has become a pattern for the U.S. regime to use negotiations as a pretense to lure diplomats and nations into a sense of false security. And then, in the middle of negotiations, start bombing the country. Whenever an injustice happens, whenever a child is murdered by the U.S. imperialism anywhere in the world, we feel for that child as if he or she are our family," said Jose Renan, another protester.

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran, with the latter responding with a series of attacks on Israel and U.S. targets across the Middle East.

Increasing casualties are reported in Iran and other countries involved in the ongoing flare-up.

Iran's state media confirmed Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.

Vancouver anti-war protesters rally against US, Israeli attacks on Iran

Vancouver anti-war protesters rally against US, Israeli attacks on Iran

Iranians have gathered at Tehran's Enghelab Square on Sunday in support of the government after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday.

The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.

"It is our duty as a people to preserve calm and unity, and we must be strong — and we are. Our sorrow is for ourselves, because the Leader has achieved his wish: martyrdom on this path. The armed forces must respond to this act in the most forceful and powerful way possible and avenge this blood," said Minoo, a protester.

"We are in deep mourning, but this heavy grief does not mean we have become weak. Rather, it makes us, the people, more resilient in the face of Iran's enemies," said Fatemeh, another protester.

"The Supreme Leader was like a father to us, and it feels as though we have lost our own father. We call on the armed forces to give a decisive response to this aggression," said Pooya, a local resident.

On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region.

Several Iranian senior officials, including Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were also killed in the strike.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.

Iranians mourn supreme leader's death, vow solidarity