The death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been confirmed. Khamenei, 86, was killed in joint US and Israeli air strikes, Iranian state media announced Sunday morning. The attack took place on 28 February 2026, targeting his residential complex in Tehran. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB and Fars News Agency described it as “martyrdom”, even though he was on duty in his office at the time of his death.
Huge impact on family too
According to Iranian media, Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter and daughter-in-law were also killed in the attacks. Fars News Agency confirmed this quoting domestic sources of the Supreme Leader. Khamenei has six children, including three daughters, but there is no clear information about which daughter died.
Emotional message from Iranian media
After the news of Khamenei’s death, Iranian media described him as a “Mujahid” and wrote that even at the age of 86, he fought the battle of Islam alone, while the world and many Islamic countries remained silent. The message said that future generations will read this history with pride. Also, Iran has declared 40 days of national mourning and 7 days of public holiday.
Loss of senior military leaders
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on Twitter claiming that their strikes killed seven top commanders of the Iranian defense leadership, including Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Pakpour, Saleh Asadi, Mohammad Shirazi, Aziz Nasirzadeh, Hussein Jabal Amelian and Reza Muzaffar-Niya. The IDF described it as “better for the world”.
Trump’s statement
US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Khamenei, one of the most brutal men in history, is dead.” He called it justice for the people of Iran and the victims around the world who were killed or injured by Khamenei’s “bloody gang”. Trump talked about continuing the attacks so that peace can be established in the Middle East.
Khamenei’s last post
His last known post (from Khamenei’s official account) was based on a Quranic verse: “Among the believers there are those who fulfilled what they promised to Allah. Then some of them have fulfilled their vow (become martyred) and some are waiting…”.
This incident could bring a major upheaval in Iranian politics, as there is no clear successor. Regional tensions are expected to escalate, while some Iranian residents are celebrating news of the death. The situation is changing rapidly.
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