Iranian state media have officially confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has been killed in a coordinated military attack by the United States and Israel. The confirmation from major Iranian news outlets like Tasnim News Agency and Fars News Agency follows earlier claims by US President Donald Trump, who announced the death on his social media platform hours after the strikes hit Tehran and other strategic targets across the Islamic Republic.Soon after reports of his death, a post shared on Khamenei's X account read, "In the name of Allah, the Merciful. Among the believers are men who are true to what they promised to Allah, so among them are those who love him, and among them are those who wait and do not change things in exchange. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Among the believers are men who have been true to what they pledged to Allah; among them is he who has fulfilled his vow, and among them is he who awaits, and they have not altered in the least."
Trump's announcement of Khamenei's death
Earlier, Trump took to Truth Social to declare that Khamenei had been eliminated during the military operation.
Calling Khamenei one of the “most evil people” in world history, Trump said the killing was more than just justice for the Iranian people. “This is not only Justice for the people of Iran,” the post read, “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.”
US-Israel attacks Iran
The strikes, carried out in coordination between US and Israeli forces, hit multiple targets linked to Iran’s political and military leadership. The impact of the attack and the broader military campaign is still unfolding, with global attention now focused on potential reactions from Tehran’s allies and the wider Middle East.
Who was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was one of the Middle East’s longest-serving leaders, holding the position of Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his death on February 28, 2026. He assumed power at the age of 50 and remained the country’s most powerful political and religious figure for nearly four decades.
Born in July 1939 in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran, Khamenei grew up in a deeply religious family and attended a theological school. As a young cleric, he became an outspoken critic of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the US-backed ruler of Iran, and faced multiple arrests for his political activism.
During the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Khamenei was a close associate of Ruhollah Khomeini, the cleric who led the revolution and became Iran’s first Supreme Leader. After Khomeini’s death in 1989, Khamenei was chosen to succeed him. Before rising to the role of Supreme Leader, he also served as Iran’s president, gaining political experience that would shape his long tenure.Throughout his rule, Khamenei increasingly consolidated control over Iran’s political system, the military, and the judiciary.
(News Agency)