Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly killed in Israeli airstrike

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, according to senior Israeli officials cited by international media on Saturday evening. Officials said they were informed that Khamenei’s body was recovered from beneath the rubble of his compound following the strike.

The Iranian state media has issued confirmation regarding Khamenei’s death. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that there were strong indications the Supreme Leader “may no longer be alive,” though he stopped short of directly confirming it.

Compound Destroyed, Senior Officials Targeted

In a video statement, Netanyahu said Israel had targeted Iran’s top leadership and nuclear officials during recent strikes carried out in coordination with the United States in several locations, including Tehran. He stated that Khamenei’s compound had been destroyed and that senior Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear officials were among those killed.

Israeli television had earlier reported that assessments suggested the Supreme Leader was likely killed in the strike. According to international media, a senior Israeli official also said Khamenei was dead and that his body had been found.

Defence Minister and IRGC Commander Believed Killed

Sources familiar with Israel’s military operations, along with another regional source cited by media, said Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in the same strike.

Nasirzadeh previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces before becoming Defence Minister, and began his military career as a fighter pilot. Pakpour had assumed command of the IRGC in 2025 following the death of his predecessor, Hossein Salami, in earlier Israeli strikes.