Iran has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike targeting his residential compound in
Tehran early Saturday morning.
According to Iranian state media, the 86-year-old leader died when Israeli warplanes dropped dozens of bombs on the heavily fortified compound in the capital Tehran. Officials said Khamenei’s body was recovered from beneath the rubble several hours after the attack.
Iranian authorities also confirmed that four members of Khamenei’s family were killed in the strike, including his daughter, a grandchild, his daughter-in-law, and his son-in-law. State outlets described the deaths as part of what they called a “criminal joint operation” by the United States and Israel.
Two senior Iranian military figures were also reported killed in the bombardment: Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani and Mohammad Pakpour, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian television announced Khamenei’s death early Sunday, opening the broadcast with religious verses and images of black-draped studios. A visibly emotional news anchor read a statement from the National Supreme Council declaring that the Supreme Leader had been “martyred” during the holy month of Ramadan.
The government declared a 40-day mourning period and announced a seven-day national holiday.
Khamenei’s death ends nearly 37 years at the helm of the Islamic Republic, during which he presided over decades of confrontation with the West and growing instability across the Gulf region.
Within hours of the announcement, Iran launched what it described as its “most intense offensive operation in history,” striking 27 U.S. military installations across the Middle East, according to IRGC statements. Missiles and drones were also reported to have hit targets in the Gulf, including Dubai and Bahrain.
Black smoke was seen rising from areas near Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq after an apparent strike on a U.S. airbase.
U.S. President Donald Trump responded in a late-night statement warning Tehran against further escalation, saying any additional attacks would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented, though reports claim both leaders were briefed on the operation’s outcome.
Iranian officials warned that Khamenei’s death would not weaken the state but instead fuel wider resistance.
“Martyrdom will ignite a greater uprising against oppressors,” the National Supreme Council said, urging Iranians to remain united as tensions across the region continue to escalate. Photo by Khamenei.ir, Wikimedia commons.