Khamenei has been killed – confirmed by Iran
Updated 08.25 | Published 2026-02-28 15.33
Iran's supreme leader is dead, Iranian state media confirms.
30 bombs are said to have been dropped on his headquarters.
"Khamenei is dead," Donald Trump also writes.
Israel Israel has killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and his body has been found, Reuters reports, citing a senior Israeli source.
Axios also reports that the Iranian leader is dead and during the night towards Sunday, Iranian state media, which had initially denied it, also stated that Khamenei is dead.
Israeliska Kanal 12 writes that the body was pulled from the rubble after the bomb attack and that it was reportedly badly mangled, full of shrapnel.
The TV channel's political analyst writes that 30 bombs were dropped on Ali Khamenei's compound, but it is not yet clear whether he was killed there.
Khamenei's mangled body was reportedly documented and shown to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Donald Trump was also shown a photo of Khamenei's body, the Times of Israel reports, citing Channel 12's television broadcast.
Trump: "I think the story is accurate"
NBC asked Donald Trump about Khamenei's death on Saturday, before the death was confirmed by Iran.
- We believe the story is accurate, said Donald Trump.
In addition to Khamenei, several of his closest confidants were also reported to have been killed. Later, Iranian media confirmed that Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammed Pakpour had been killed.
Reports that Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed have not been confirmed.
– I'm not talking about two people, but a large part of the leadership, Trump told NBC.
In total, the leading figures have been killed in three separate attacks in the past 24 hours, according to Donald Trump.
– You know the one that was reported about, but there were two more attacks that hurt their leadership very badly.
In addition, Ali Khamenei's daughter and granddaughter have been killed in the attacks, according to Iranian media. Khamenei's son-in-law is also reported to have been killed, according to the regime-loyal Iranian news agency Fars, among others.
Trump: Justice for the people of Iran
Later on Saturday evening, before Iran confirmed the death, Donald Trump wrote on his own social media, Truth social, that Khamenei is dead.
“This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but also for all the great Americans and people around the world who have been killed or injured by Khamenei and his bloodthirsty thugs,” Donald Trump wrote.
Conflicting information
The news of his death comes after a day of information going back and forth between Israeli and Iranian sources.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli television channel said that Khamenei was only injured. But during the day, information became increasingly clear that he was instead killed in the attack. The information came from sources and was not confirmed for a long time.
At the same time, the information was denied by the Iranian side, before Iranian state media finally confirmed that Ali Khamenei is dead.
Unclear about the succession order
The announcement of Khamenei's death is expected to lead to a crisis over who will take over from the Iranian regime. According to the Iranian constitution, a council of the country's highest religious leaders should choose a new ayatollah.
But Israel has also attacked several other military and political leaders, which raises questions about who will make the decisions about what should be done, Axios reports.
According to Reuters, hard-line members of the Revolutionary Guard, who are supposed to defend the Shiite rule in Iran, could take over after Khamenei. The CIA is said to have included that as one of its scenarios for what could happen if he died in the attacks, Reuters reports.
In the interview with NBC, Donald Trump is asked who will take over after Ali Khamenei.
– I don't know, but at some point they will call me to ask who I want to see.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar