Iranian state TV reports Khamenei killed
Supreme Leader said dead in U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran
Iranian state television announced that Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, was killed at his workplace during a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran, according to state reports. The broadcast said the attack—carried out in the early hours—ended Khamenei’s long tenure as Iran’s top political and religious authority and dismissed earlier claims that he had been moved to a secure, undisclosed location, asserting he remained at his post among the people.
Aged 86, Khamenei rose to prominence after participating in the 1979 Revolution, served as president during much of the 1980s, and was appointed Supreme Leader in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Over nearly four decades he shaped Iran’s domestic policy and regional strategy, oversaw the expansion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the development of Iran’s nuclear program, and cultivated alliances across West Asia. His leadership is credited by supporters with preserving Iran’s sovereignty amid sustained international pressure and regional conflict.
Iranian institutions and state-aligned forces offered immediate, strongly worded reactions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps extended its highest condolences, describing Khamenei as a towering religious scholar and “leader of the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution,” and called his death the result of “malicious terrorists and oppressors.” The IRGC vowed that his martyrdom would strengthen popular resolve to continue his path, pledged that the IRGC, the armed forces and Basij would carry forward his mission, and warned that Iranian justice would pursue those responsible.
International news organizations reporting on the event say Iran has declared a period of national mourning and that officials have not yet announced a successor; a succession process involving the Assembly of Experts is expected to begin amid high uncertainty about Iran’s future political direction. Global leaders have reacted with concern over the risk of wider escalation and implications for regional stability and security. The strike and Khamenei’s death mark a pivotal moment in an already tense regional confrontation, raising urgent questions about immediate military and diplomatic consequences.
