Iranian state media has confirmed that Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, was killed during coordinated strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.
The announcement, broadcast on state television on Sunday, stated that the 86-year-old leader died at his office during the Israeli-US assault that began in the early hours of Saturday.
Authorities immediately declared a 40-day national mourning period in honour of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989.
The confirmation followed hours of conflicting reports from Iranian media outlets.
Earlier on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim and Mehr news agencies had maintained that Khamenei remained steadfast and in control, dismissing foreign claims of his death.
However, state television later formally acknowledged that the supreme leader had been killed in the strikes, dramatically shifting the official narrative.
US President Donald Trump had earlier announced Khamenei’s death on his Truth Social platform, asserting that American intelligence capabilities, working in coordination with Israel, ensured the success of the operation.
“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 wrote.
Trump characterised the development as a potential turning point for Iran’s internal politics.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” he said. “Hopefully, the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier suggested that Khamenei may have been killed, telling reporters there were “growing signs” the Iranian leader did not survive the strikes.
Reuters, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, also reported that assessments within Israel indicated the operation had successfully targeted Iran’s top leadership.
Khamenei’s death, if fully consolidated within Iran’s political structure, could trigger significant shifts within the country’s clerical establishment, security apparatus, and succession process, while further escalating tensions across the Middle East.