U.S., Israel confirm Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's assassination

Jay Jackson
01 Mar 2026, 04:30 GMT+10

WASHINGTON DC - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, according to Israeli and U.S. officials.

Iran State Media confirmed on Sunday morning local time that its leader was dead. Ali Khamenei was killed in his office at his home where he was working. His daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law were also killed in the strikes on his compound, according to the Fars News Agency.

The Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning and ordered a seven-day closure of government offices.

Israel claimed earlier it had proof of his death, and had seen Khamenei's body, following an intensive airstrike that battered the Islamic Republic, and resulted in the assassination of numerous military and political figures, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and the country's minister of defence.

The assassination of Ali Khamenei however is seismic, in that the cleric, who would have turned 87 in April, has ruled Iran for nearly four decades.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," U.S. President Donald posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, in the early hours of Sunday morning, Tehran time. "This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS," the U.S. president posted.

"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 killed along with him, could do."

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, "Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!" Mr Trump posted.

"Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated," Mr Trump said. "The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!"

The Israel Defense Forces claimed the Israeli side of the attack was the largest air power operation in the country's history. "200 IAF jets completed a broad strike against the missile array and the aerial defense systems of the IRGC in western and central Iran," the IDF said in a post on X.

"500+ targets hit, including aerial defense systems & missile launchers in several locations throughout Iran simultaneously. "

"Conducted following precise planning with excellent intelligence, while synchronizing hundreds of fighter jets, the strikes allowed the expansion of the IAF's aerial superiority over Iranian air space," the post said.