Iran’s state television has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring that he has “reached martyrdom” following a massive joint US-Israeli military operation against key targets in Tehran.
The announcement came from the state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday morning, marking a seismic shift in the leadership of the Islamic Republic.
This development follows what has been described as the most ambitious attack on Iranian soil in decades, with the United States and Israel claiming responsibility for strikes that eliminated Khamenei.
The 86-year-old cleric, who has guided Iran since 1989, was reportedly tracked and targeted with precision amid a broader bombardment of military and governmental sites.
US President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death via a post on X, hailing it as “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” He emphasised close collaboration with Israel, framing the operation as a decisive move to neutralise a long-standing threat and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump detailed how advanced intelligence and tracking systems monitored Khamenei’s movements, leaving him and other leaders with no escape. In a subsequent Truth Social post, he warned that the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would persist “uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary” to secure peace across the Middle East and beyond.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu corroborated the success of the strikes, stating that Khamenei’s compound had been utterly destroyed. The operation represents Trump’s boldest foreign policy manoeuvre yet, contrasting his campaign pledges as a “peace president.”
Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported that Iranian Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were also killed. Israel’s military confirmed the deaths of five additional senior commanders, including Ali Shamkhani, a key adviser to the Supreme Leader.
Iranian media further revealed that Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law perished in the attacks, compounding the leadership vacuum. With no designated successor to the second Supreme Leader in the Islamic Republic’s history, Tehran’s power structure faces profound uncertainty.
Iran has denounced the strikes as unprovoked and illegal, retaliating with missile launches targeting Israel and at least seven other nations, including Gulf states hosting US bases. This escalation raises fears of a protracted conflict, echoing Iranian vows of severe reprisals.
The cryptic response from Khamenei’s official X account—a Persian message reading “In the name of Nami Haider (peace be upon him)”—has fuelled speculation, though it did little to counter the mounting evidence of his demise. Trump, meanwhile, urged Iranians to overthrow their government, positioning the strikes as a catalyst for regime change.
As the dust settles over Tehran, the world watches anxiously. The loss of Khamenei, alongside top military brass, could destabilise Iran’s command chain, potentially inviting internal power struggles or opportunistic moves by regional rivals. Yet Iran’s missile response signals readiness for prolonged confrontation.
The joint US-Israeli action underscores a rare alignment between the two allies, leveraging cutting-edge surveillance to strike at the heart of Iran’s theocracy. For Trump, it is a high-stakes gamble aimed at reshaping Middle Eastern dynamics, though at the risk of drawing the US into deeper entanglement.
Agencies
