On Saturday, February 28, 2026, US President Donald Trump officially announced the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 86-year-old spiritual and political leader of Iran was killed in a massive air strike carried out jointly by Israeli and American forces on Tehran.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: “Khamenei, one of the most evil men in history, is dead. This is not only justice for the Iranian people, but for all Great Americans and people from many countries around the world who were killed or maimed by him and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel!”
According to information provided by American and Israeli sources, Khamenei was killed in the first strike on his residential compound in northern Tehran. The leader’s body has been located, according to anonymous sources in Israeli intelligence. The attack was part of a wide-ranging operation called “Epic Fury,” whose goal is to topple the Iranian regime.
Iran has not yet confirmed Khamenei’s death. State media outlets Tasnim and Mehr claim that the Supreme Leader “remains strong and is commanding the battlefield,” but the absence of any new recordings or photos of him for several hours has raised enormous doubts. In Tehran and other Iranian cities, spontaneous celebrations have broken out on the streets, with thousands of Iranians cheering the news of the end of Khamenei’s era.
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran with an iron fist for 36 years, may mark the beginning of the end of the current regime. The world is waiting with bated breath for the coming hours: whether Iran will collapse, whether chaos will erupt, or whether someone from the hardline circle of the Revolutionary Guards will try to seize power. History is being written before our eyes.
Update
Iranian state television has confirmed the death of the Ayatollah and declared a 40-day mourning period.
