Iranian state media has officially confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s paramount leader since 1989, following devastating joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel. Khamenei, aged 86, was killed early Saturday morning local time in an attack on his office compound in Tehran, according to reports from Iranian state television and official outlets.
The announcement, broadcast overnight into Sunday, described Khamenei’s death as “martyrdom” while he was “carrying out his duties.” Emotional anchors on state TV broke down during the reading of a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which declared a 40-day period of national mourning. The country has also announced public holidays and framed the killing as part of a broader assault on the Islamic Republic.
Khamenei, who rose to prominence during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, wielded near-absolute authority over Iran’s political, religious, and military institutions for more than three decades. He oversaw the country’s nuclear program, supported proxy groups across the Middle East, and maintained a staunch anti-U.S. and anti-Israel stance. His rule saw repeated confrontations with the West, domestic crackdowns on protests, and the entrenchment of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a dominant force.
The strikes, which began Saturday and continued into Sunday, targeted key military and leadership sites across Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death on Truth Social, calling it “justice for the people of Iran” and vowing continued operations aimed at regime change. Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, described Khamenei as killed in the “opening blow” of the campaign, with satellite imagery showing severe damage to buildings in the supreme leader’s Tehran compound.
Iran responded swiftly with retaliatory missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in the region and targets in Israel, as well as reported strikes on Gulf Arab states. Explosions were heard in Tehran and other cities Sunday morning, with air raid sirens sounding in Israel. Iran’s army warned of the “most devastating” retaliation yet, while senior officials like Ali Larijani asserted that the nation would not submit.
The killing has plunged Iran into uncertainty, with no clear immediate successor named. The Assembly of Experts is expected to convene to select a new supreme leader amid ongoing strikes and internal pressures. Regional allies, including Iraq, announced days of mourning, while celebrations were reported in some parts of Tehran among regime opponents.
Global markets reacted with volatility as fears of wider escalation grew, including potential disruptions to oil supplies. Trump urged Iranian forces to stand down and called on citizens to “take back” their country, framing the operation as a path to Middle East peace.
As strikes persist and Iran vows further response, the death of Khamenei marks one of the most dramatic turning points in the Islamic Republic’s history — and raises the specter of prolonged regional conflict.