Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump had announced the death hours earlier, describing it as giving Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country.
Iranian state media reported that the 86-year-old leader was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran.
Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” in a social media post and warned that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue throughout the week and beyond. The US described the operation as necessary to disable Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Iran responded swiftly, vowing retribution. The Cabinet said the attack was a “great crime” that “will never go unanswered,” while the Revolutionary Guard threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” yet, targeting Israeli and American bases.
Khamenei had final authority over all major policies during his decades in power. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centres of power in the theocratic government.
Following his death, Iran quickly formed a council to govern the country until a new supreme leader is chosen.
State media also reported that the head of the Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser to Khamenei were killed in the airstrikes.
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour had taken over as the Guard’s top commander after the previous commander was killed in last June’s 12-day war.
The Iranian government declared 40 days of public mourning and a seven-day nationwide holiday to mark Khamenei’s death.
The joint US-Israel operation, planned for months, took place on Saturday during the holy fasting month of Ramadan and at the start of Iran’s workweek.
About 12 hours after the strikes began, the US military reported no casualties and minimal damage at US bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.”
Targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.
Israel reported it had killed the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s defence minister, and the secretary of the Iranian Security Council, a close adviser to Khamenei.
An Iranian diplomat told the United Nations Security Council that hundreds of civilians had been killed or wounded.
Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones towards Israel and US bases in the region, with exchanges of fire continuing into the night.
More: Associated Press
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