Iran Attacks, AI Blacklist & Tech Turmoil: OpenAI, Anthropic, and the Pentagon Crisis

A missile strike killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, February 28, 2026, according to confirmations from President Trump and Iranian state media. The attack, carried out by Israel with support from the United States, targeted a compound in Tehran, resulting in significant damage, as evidenced by satellite imagery.

The operation was enabled by intelligence gathered over months by the CIA, which tracked Khamenei’s movements and identified a meeting of senior Iranian officials he was expected to attend. This information was relayed to Israeli counterparts, accelerating the timeline for the strike, according to a source familiar with the matter. The New York Times first reported on the CIA’s involvement.

While initial reports indicated a joint U.S.-Israeli operation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. Did not target Khamenei or the Iranian leadership, according to Ohio Representative Mike Turner. However, President Trump subsequently confirmed the death of Khamenei in the joint operation.

Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for nearly 40 years, died at the age of 86. His death was confirmed by Iranian state media, which announced 40 days of mourning. The attack also resulted in the deaths of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchild, according to the Fars News Agency.

The strikes come as cyberattacks are expected to escalate from Iran, according to security experts. Brian Carbaugh, co-founder and CEO of AI-based security firm Andesite and former director of the CIA’s elite Special Activities Center, noted Iran’s “great pride” in its cyber capabilities. Flashpoint, a cyber intel firm, reported that hacktivists and proxies are using Telegram and Reddit to coordinate attacks, though verifying the accuracy of these claims takes time.

In a separate, developing situation, the U.S. Department of Defense had previously entered into an agreement with Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, which has now been suspended. The Wall Street Journal reported that Anthropic’s Claude AI technology was used by the U.S. DoD in the attack on Iran, just hours after the government announced it would cease using the technology. This follows a controversial deal between OpenAI and the Pentagon, and a public dispute involving Emil Michael, a former Uber executive, who publicly questioned the integrity of Anthropic’s CEO.

Google is also proceeding with the development of a new data center complex near Minneapolis, featuring the world’s largest battery storage system. The system, utilizing iron-air battery technology from Form Energy, will be capable of dispatching up to 100 hours of power, enhancing the viability of renewable energy-powered data centers.