Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Killed in US-Israel Strike, Tehran Confirms

Tehran, 1st March 2026: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israel military strike, Iranian media reported on Saturday, marking a dramatic escalation in Middle East tensions. State-linked news agencies Tasnim and Fars confirmed Khamenei’s death, stating that several members of his family, including his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter and daughter-in-law, were also killed in the attack.

Following the announcement, Iranian authorities declared 40 days of state mourning and seven days of public holidays across the country. The death of the 85-year-old leader has triggered widespread reactions within Iran’s political and military establishment, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps expressing deep grief over the loss.

According to Fars News Agency, the IRGC said Iran had “lost a great leader” and that the entire nation was in mourning. Shortly after, the Iranian military announced the launch of what it described as a “dangerous operation,” warning that attacks would begin shortly and would target “occupied territories” and US military bases in the region.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed responsibility for the killing in a post on Truth Social, calling Khamenei “one of the most brutal figures in history.” Trump said the killing represented justice for the Iranian people as well as for the United States and other nations around the world.

The strike was part of a large-scale offensive launched by the United States and Israel on Saturday, targeting multiple Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran. Iranian state media reported several explosions in and around Tehran late Saturday night. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel soon after.

According to Iran’s Red Crescent Society, more than 200 people have been killed and over 740 injured so far in the US-Israel attacks. One of the deadliest incidents involved a missile strike on a school, which reportedly killed 85 schoolgirls and injured at least 45 others. Iranian officials said at least 10 major cities were targeted during the offensive.

In retaliation, Iran launched extensive missile and drone strikes against Israel and US military installations across the Middle East. Iranian forces reportedly fired nearly 400 missiles at Israel and targeted US bases in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Drone strikes were also reported in Dubai, including near Palm Hotel and Resort and close to the Burj Khalifa. In Bahrain, several residential buildings were hit, according to regional media reports.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was born on April 19, 1939, in Mashhad into a clerical family. He emerged as a key figure in Iran’s opposition to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and was an early supporter of Islamic governance. Arrested in 1963 for speaking out against the Shah, he later became a close associate of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei held several senior positions, including membership in the Revolutionary Council and the post of deputy defence minister. He survived a bomb attack during a mosque speech in 1981 and later that year was elected Iran’s third president. Following Khomeini’s death in 1989, Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader, a move that required constitutional changes.

Supporters viewed him as a strong defender of Iran’s Islamic system, while critics accused him of enforcing rigid and authoritarian rule.

The conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States has long been driven by disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile development, regional influence in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, and decades of economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The killing of Khamenei is expected to further destabilise the region and intensify fears of a wider Middle East war.