According to Iranian state media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred in U.S. and Israeli attacks that took place on Saturday. The Supreme Leader was reportedly killed in his office.
Iranian state media announced seven days of national holidays and a 40-day mourning period following the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader.
Ayatollah Khamenei had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini after his death.
Iranian state media also confirmed that Khamenei’s daughter and grandson were martyred in the Israeli and U.S. attacks. It further reported that his son-in-law and daughter-in-law were also killed in the strikes.
Earlier, Israeli media had reported that the Iranian Supreme Leader was in an underground bunker with his associates, and that 30 bombs were dropped on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound. According to Israeli reports, the Supreme Leader was killed along with dozens of associates.
Israeli media also claimed that an image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body was shown to the U.S. President.
Meanwhile, British media, citing Israeli officials, reported that Khamenei’s body had been found.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a video message that there were indications suggesting that the Iranian Supreme Leader was no longer alive.
He further claimed that commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had also been killed, that Khamenei’s compound was destroyed, and that senior nuclear officials were killed. He added that thousands more targets would be struck in the coming days.
Netanyahu stated that operations against Iran would continue as long as necessary.
It is worth noting that a day earlier, the United States and Israel carried out naval and air strikes on Iran, in which 201 Iranian civilians were killed and 747 injured.
According to a news agency, Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, were also killed in the attacks.
