Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday in a joint United States-Israeli military operation targeting senior leadership figures in Tehran, United States President Donald Trump confirmed, as surviving Iranian officials denied the killing and threatened retaliation, setting off one of the most consequential geopolitical crises in decades.
Trump announced Khamenei’s death in a post on Truth Social, saying the killing was justice for Americans and others harmed by Iran over decades. A senior United States defense official confirmed that Washington agreed with the Israeli government’s assessment that Khamenei was killed, along with five to ten other top Iranian leaders who had gathered at a compound in Tehran on Saturday morning.
Iran has not confirmed the death. The first wave of airstrikes hit at dawn in Tehran, with explosions reported across the capital. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said more than 200 people were killed in strikes that hit 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with 747 people reported injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a nationally televised address, said there were growing signs that Khamenei was no longer alive, citing Israeli strikes on the supreme leader’s compound. Trump told NBC News he believed reports of Khamenei’s death were a correct story and said most of Iran’s senior leadership was gone. An Israeli official told NBC News that Israel was 99 percent certain Khamenei had been killed and was working on final verification.
Who takes power in Iran if Khamenei is confirmed dead and what does the constitution say about succession?
Khamenei’s reported killing has triggered an immediate succession crisis with no clearly established resolution. Under Iran’s constitution, an interim council assumes power while the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 Islamic clerics, selects a new supreme leader. Israeli officials said the opening strikes decimated Iran’s chain of command, killing seven senior defense and intelligence officials and targeting 30 top military and civilian leaders overall.
Khamenei, who assumed power in 1989 following the death of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spent 35 years consolidating authority over the Iranian state, holding final say over the judiciary, state media, and all security forces including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of Khamenei’s closest political confidants, emerged as the most senior civilian official confirmed to have survived the strikes. In a post on the social media platform X, Larijani warned that the brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran would deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors.
Iran’s semi-official media insisted Khamenei was alive and steadfast in commanding the field. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the attacks wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the country had been targeted by a brutal air operation carried out by the United States and Israel during active nuclear negotiations.
How did the United States and Israel plan and execute simultaneous strikes on Iran’s senior leadership gatherings?
An Israeli military official told reporters that the United States and Israel spent thousands of hours developing an extensive target bank in Iran, waiting for a moment when senior officials would be gathered together. Three separate gatherings of senior Iranian officials were struck simultaneously on Saturday morning. A senior United States defense official said the decision to accelerate the operational timeline was driven by intelligence and a specific target of opportunity.
The Israeli Air Force struck 500 military targets in western and central Iran, including air defense systems and missile launchers, using approximately 200 fighter jets. Trump said the heavy and pinpoint bombing would continue uninterrupted through the week or longer to achieve his stated objective of peace throughout the Middle East and the world.
How has Iran retaliated against Gulf states and United States military bases following the strikes on Tehran?
In retaliation for the strikes, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones at United Arab Emirates territory. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said the vast majority of the projectiles were destroyed or intercepted. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, halted all flights indefinitely. Iran also launched strikes against United States military bases in Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement in Yemen announced it would resume attacks on Red Sea shipping following the strikes on Iran. In Iraq, the Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah militia reported casualties after a drone strike on its headquarters southwest of Baghdad.
Inside Iran, public reactions were divided. Witnesses in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz reported street celebrations following news of Khamenei’s reported death, with cars honking and fireworks lit in several cities. Separately, pro-government demonstrations also took place, with participants carrying portraits of the supreme leader and waving the Iranian flag.
What has the European Union, United Nations, and international community said in response to the US-Israel strike on Iran?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa issued a joint statement calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians, and fully respect international law. The statement stressed the importance of nuclear safety and preventing actions that could undermine the global non-proliferation regime.
The United Nations condemned the strikes, citing threats to regional stability. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte, following the operation.
Trump, who monitored the operation from his Palm Beach, Florida residence alongside senior national security staff, called on the Iranian people to remain in their homes during the bombing campaign and to rise up and take over their government when it concludes.
How do the confirmed outcomes of the joint US-Israel operation on Iran affect the Middle East and beyond?
- United States President Donald Trump confirmed the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint United States-Israeli military operation on February 28, 2026, though Iran’s government has denied the claim and has not independently confirmed Khamenei’s death.
- Israel struck 500 military targets across Iran using approximately 200 fighter jets, simultaneously targeting three separate gatherings of senior Iranian officials; Israeli officials said seven senior defense and intelligence figures were confirmed killed.
- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani, one of the most senior surviving officials, publicly threatened retaliation, and Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against United Arab Emirates territory and United States military bases across the Persian Gulf region.
- Iran’s constitution requires the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 Islamic clerics, to convene and select a new supreme leader if Khamenei is confirmed dead, with an interim council assuming authority in the interim period.
- The European Union and the United Nations called for maximum restraint and the protection of civilians, while Dubai International Airport suspended all flights indefinitely amid the regional escalation.
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