US-ISRAEL ATTACK
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Killed
Late Saturday night, Iranian state television confirmed the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the attacks initiated by the US and Israel yesterday morning, February 28, 2026. A 40-day mourning period has been declared in the country, and it was announced that government offices would remain closed for seven days.
In a statement attributed to the Supreme National Security Council, no details were provided regarding how Khamenei was killed or who might succeed him.
Official media stated that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren were also killed alongside him in the attack. The Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that one of Khamenei’s daughters-in-law was among the dead. The statement also emphasized that Khamenei’s "martyrdom will be the beginning of an uprising against oppressors."
Unconfirmed for Hours
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had announced that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint attacks conducted with Israel.
In a written statement released on his social media platform, Truth Social, Donald Trump stated, "Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead."
Trump added, "He could not escape our intelligence and highly advanced tracking systems; because we worked in close cooperation with Israel, neither he nor the other leaders killed with him could do anything."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated on Saturday evening that there were an increasing number of signs confirming Khamenei’s death.
Trump also noted that many of Iran's top leaders lost their lives in the strikes. In his speech, Netanyahu said, "This morning, we eliminated senior officials of the Ayatollah regime, Revolutionary Guard commanders, and top figures of the nuclear program, and we will continue."
The attacks, which began yesterday morning, targeted many key locations, including Khamenei’s compound.
According to the Iranian constitution, Khamenei’s successor is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, which consists of 88 clerics who also select the leader. In reality, only the names most loyal to the Islamic Republic are allowed to run for candidacy. Consequently, the majority of the clerics in the current assembly are at least as hardline as Ayatollah Khamenei.
Iran: It Will Not Go Unpunished
Following the announcement of Khamenei’s death, the Iranian government issued a statement.
Declaring that the attack in which Khamenei was killed would not go unpunished, the statement noted that those responsible and those who gave the orders "will be made to regret it." The Iranian Presidency also noted in a statement that the attack on Khamenei "will not go unpunished."
Who was Khamenei?
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was born on April 19, 1939, in the city of Mashhad. Having received religious education in Mashhad and Qom, Khamenei joined the movement launched by Ayatollah Khomeini against the Shah in Qom in 1962. He was arrested and sent into exile at various intervals.
One of the founders of the Islamic Republic Party in 1978, Khamenei assumed the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran in July 1979 after the revolution.
In addition to being appointed as the Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on November 24, 1979, he was also appointed as the Tehran Friday prayer leader the same year. In 1980, he was appointed by Imam Khomeini as a representative to the Supreme Defense Council of Iran. In the same year, he was elected as a member of the Iranian Parliament for Tehran.
On June 27, 1981, he was seriously injured in a bomb attack at the Abu Zar Mosque in Tehran, allegedly organized by the People's Mujahedin group. In the elections held in October 1981, he was elected as the country's third President after the revolution. He became President for a second time after winning the presidential elections in 1985.
Following the death of Khomeini, Khamenei was selected as the Leader (Rehber), the highest office in the country, in 1989 by the Assembly of Experts—which is responsible for selecting and supervising the country's leader—with the support of Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Throughout his rule, Khamenei was characterized by his anti-Western stance and sought to establish good relations with Russia and China.
While the President elected in Iran has limited powers, the office of leadership represented by Ali Khamenei became the final word on domestic and foreign policy issues, standing above all state organs with constitutional powers.
The Leader, having authority over all state organs including the President, also played a decisive role in internal security and foreign policy issues as the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces.
In recent years, Khamenei became the target of anti-government protesters during street demonstrations arising from governance and economic problems.
