Iran has confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a major joint attack by the US and Israel.
In response, Iran threatened it would launch the “heaviest offensive” in the country’s history to retaliate for the Supreme Leader’s death.
Khamenei is Gone
Early on Sunday, the Iranian state TV announced the death of Khamenei in an airstrike that targeted his compound in downtown Tehran on Saturday.
“Khamenei was carrying out his assigned duties and was present at his workplace (his office). This cowardly attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning,” it said.
Satellite photos from Airbus showed destruction at Khamenei’s compound following the US-Israeli strikes. Several members of the Supreme Leader’s family, including daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law, also died in the strikes, according to Iranian state media.
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday night the death of Khamenei, along with other Iranian leaders. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump added.
He also noted that US strikes on Iran would continue over the coming days. “The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” he said.
Top Iranian Leaders Eliminated
The US and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, to curb Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. The US dubbed the mission Operation Epic Fury, while Israel called it Operation Roaring Lion.
In response, Iran launched a counterattack, dubbed “Operation Truthful Promise 4,” sending barrages of missiles and drones toward the command of the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, and US bases in Qatar and the UAE, in addition to military targets in Israel.
According to Iranian state media, multiple senior leaders were killed in the strikes, including Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh; Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi; head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour; and top security adviser to Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said the strikes killed senior Iranian military, intelligence and security leaders, including head of Supreme Leader’s military bureau Mohammad Shirazi; head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) Hossein Jabal Amelian; and former head of SPND Reza Mozaffari-Nia.
Who Will Lead Iran?
Following Khamenei’s death, a temporary leadership council will be formed to assume leadership duties, IRNA reported citing Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani.
The council will include the president Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief and a jurist from the Guardian Council.
Larijani also warned separatist movements against any provocations, accusing the US and Israel of seeking to destabilize Iran.
Trump, for his part, said there were “some good candidates” to lead Iran. Responding to a question by CBS News about who he thought was in charge, Trump said: “I know exactly who, but I can’t tell you.”
Iran’s Retaliation
Iran has vowed harsh retaliation for Khamenei’s death. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said it would launch the most intense offensive operation in the history of the armed forces “in moments,” targeting Israel and US bases in the region.
Furthermore, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused the US and Israel of crossing a red line, vowing that they would “pay for it.”
Larijani also vowed stronger retaliation. “The Americans have stabbed the Iranian people in the heart and we will stab them in their heart,” he said, adding that the “reaction from our armed forces will be much stronger.”
Early on Sunday, Iran launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks across the region, with several blasts and missile interceptions reported in Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Iraq and Israel.
Trump’s Warning
After Iranian threats, Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, saying that any retaliatory strikes would be met with strong force from the US. “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before,” he posted on Truth Social on Sunday.
“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” Trump warned.
