Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in air strikes conducted by the United States and Israel, multiple sources reported Saturday. The strikes, described as the most ambitious attack on Iran in decades, targeted locations across the country, including the compound of the Supreme Leader.
Israeli officials confirmed the death, with a senior official telling Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, stated there were “many signs that this tyrant is no longer,” adding that senior officials in Khamenei’s regime, Revolutionary Guard commanders, and figures involved in Iran’s nuclear program had been eliminated. “We will continue,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he believed the reports of Khamenei’s death were accurate. “We feel that that is a correct story,” Trump told NBC News, without providing further details. The strikes were launched in what the Pentagon has named Operation Epic Fury, primarily targeting Iranian officials, according to one source.
However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei disputed the reports, stating that Ayatollah Khamenei was “safe and sound.” Iranian state media also reported that both Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were unharmed.
The attacks prompted a swift response from Iran, which launched missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. Military bases in the region. A warning was issued regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil supplies, raising concerns about potential disruptions to energy markets. Airlines cancelled flights in the Middle East.
Initial reports indicate significant damage and casualties. In the southern Iranian town of Minab, a strike on a girls’ primary school resulted in the deaths of 85 people, according to local prosecutor cited by state media. Iranian Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were also reported killed in the Israeli attacks.
Trump, in a video message, called on Iranians to “rise up” against their government, stating that the aim of the strikes was “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He urged Iranians to stay sheltered, warning that “bombs will be dropping everywhere.” Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, stating the attacks were intended to create conditions for the Iranian people to “accept their destiny into their own hands.”
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Saturday to address the escalating situation. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that all U.S. Bases and interests in the region are within reach and that retaliation will continue until “the enemy is decisively defeated.”
Sirens sounded in Israel as Iran launched missile barrages, with reports of loud booms in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Bahrain reported a missile attack on the service centre of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Qatar stated it had intercepted and downed all missiles targeting the country, asserting its right to respond. Kuwait also confirmed a missile attack on a U.S. Military base within its borders.
