U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Tehran.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and said his death was “justice” for Iranians, Americans and others allegedly affected by the Iranian regime. He added that the bombing campaign would continue, calling it “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country.”
The announcement followed hours of conflicting reports from Israeli and U.S. media. While Trump told American broadcasters he “believes” Khamenei is dead, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “not in a position to confirm” the reports. Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry had insisted the Supreme Leader was “safe and sound,” accusing adversaries of psychological warfare.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “growing signs” that Khamenei was “gone,” though the Israeli military stopped short of formally confirming his death. The Israel Defense Forces said they had “eliminated” several senior Iranian defence officials in what they termed the “opening salvo” of attacks.
Satellite images released after the strikes showed significant damage to Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, with blackened structures and visible debris. Explosions were also reported in several Iranian cities.
Iran responded with apparent retaliatory strikes across parts of the Middle East. Reports emerged of explosions in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait — locations that host U.S. military installations or are key regional allies. Warning sirens sounded in Israeli cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv as missile defence systems were activated.
According to Iran’s Red Crescent, more than 200 people have been killed across the country since the strikes began.
The White House confirmed that Trump had spoken with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte as the crisis deepened. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was engaged in “co-ordinated regional defensive operations” to protect its citizens and partners following what he described as Iran’s “indiscriminate” retaliation.
Meanwhile, Iran is experiencing a near-total internet blackout, severely limiting independent verification of events on the ground.
