On Sunday, the Iranian state media announced that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was k!lled in coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting Tehran.
A 40-day national mourning period has been announced for the 86-year-old cleric, who has led the Islamic Republic since 1989.
The confirmation followed earlier claims by US and Israeli officials that Khamenei had been k!lled during the coordinated strikes which began early Saturday.
Initial reports by Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies had suggested that the Supreme Leader remained “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.” However, state media later confirmed his de@th at his office in Tehran.
United States President, Donald Trump, had earlier announced Khamenei’s de@th in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump wrote, “He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been k!lled along with him, could do.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. Hopefully, the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had also claimed there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been k!lled.
Reuters, quoting a senior Israeli official, earlier reported that Khamenei’s body had been located.
Khamenei’s de@th is expected to significantly alter the trajectory of the escalating conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.
Although Iranian authorities had reportedly prepared contingency plans in the event of his assassination during wartime, analysts say his k!lling injects fresh uncertainty into an already volatile situation, raising fears of further escalation.
Khamenei became Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1989, succeeding Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Shah.
