Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei Killed in Joint US-Israeli Strikes

Unprecedented Strike Eliminates Iranian Leadership

In a dramatic escalation that has reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran . He was 86 . Iranian media on Sunday confirmed the death, saying Khamenei was killed in his office compound and that there will be 40 days of national mourning .

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Saturday that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, reinforcing early reports from Israeli officials that the cleric was killed in the opening strike of the joint U.S.–Israel military operation against Iran . Trump called Khamenei "one of the most evil people in history" and said the strike delivered justice for Iranians, Americans and others "killed or mutilated" by him .

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser to Khamenei have also been killed, Iranian state media says . Israel's military said Sunday its strikes had killed 40 top Iranian military officials, including the armed forces' chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi .

Massive Retaliation Spreads Across Region

As the US and Israeli strikes against Iran entered a second day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted Israel and the US bases in the Middle East with what it called "the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic" . Iran has called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states that host U.S. bases .

A massive explosion struck Iran's capital Sunday as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in central Tehran . Several countries in the Gulf also reported Iranian strikes, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait . Israel says it is targeting sites "in the heart of Tehran", as new Iranian attacks are reported in Tel Aviv, Dubai, Doha and Bahrain's capital Manama .

President Donald Trump warned Iran early Sunday that the U.S. will strike them with a force never seen before if Tehran follows through with its retaliation threats. "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"

Power Vacuum Creates Uncertainty

The decapitation of Iran's senior leadership leaves a power vacuum. Who fills it will matter to Iran, Israel and the rest of the world, including Australia . Witnesses said some Iranians took to the streets in Tehran, the nearby city of Karaj and the central city of Isfahan to celebrate after the reports of Khamenei's death. Videos posted on social media, which Reuters was unable to immediately verify, also showed celebrations in other locations .

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country," Trump said on Truth social, urging rank-and-file Iranian forces to lay down their arms and consider ending their resistance . Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was "a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law."

Strategic Implications and Global Response

Trump, making the biggest foreign-policy gamble of his presidency after campaigning for reelection as a "peace president," said the strikes were aimed at ending a decades-long threat from Iran and ensuring it could not develop a nuclear weapon . An Israeli military official told reporters that the U.S. and Israeli militaries spent months building up an extensive bank of targets in Iran and were looking for the right moment to strike when senior Iranian officials would meet. The official said three separate gatherings of senior officials were struck simultaneously Saturday morning .

The elimination of Iran's supreme leader after more than three decades in power represents a seismic shift in regional dynamics. With Iranian proxy groups like Hezbollah vowing retaliation and global powers taking sides, the conflict threatens to expand far beyond the initial strikes. The coming days will determine whether this bold military gamble leads to Iranian regime collapse or triggers an even broader regional war that could reshape the Middle East for generations.