Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed in a joint military operation by the US and Israel, senior Israeli officials confirmed on Saturday, 28 February 2026. The 86-year-old cleric, who had ruled the Islamic Republic for nearly four decades, was targeted in a series of coordinated strikes that also eliminated several of the country's most senior military commanders, leaving Tehran's chain of command in acute disarray.
A senior Israeli official confirmed that Khamenei was killed in the strikes — described as a massive blow to the regime that could accelerate its collapse, an outcome both US and Israeli officials have stated as a goal of their operation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintained Khamenei was alive, saying: 'As far as I know, yes, they are alive. Almost all officials are safe, and sound, and alive. We may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem.'
