Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump wrote this on his platform Truth Social. There was no confirmation from Iran. Earlier, Israeli media had reported on Khamenei’s death during the clashes between the United States and Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of many “indications” of it. According to Israeli information, prominent representatives of Iran’s military leadership were killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that there were many indications that Khamenei “no longer exists.” Among the dead were Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammed Pakpur and Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, according to the Israeli armed forces. Initially, there was no confirmation from Iran. Pakpur rose to this influential position last year. His predecessor, Hussein Salami, died in Israeli attacks in June 2025.
The Revolutionary Guards are considered Iran’s elite military force and are significantly more powerful than the regular armed forces. In recent decades, the troops have not only been heavily armed militarily but have also expanded their social and economic influence, including through investments in hotel chains and airlines. The influential official Ali Shamkhani was also killed on Saturday, according to Israeli military sources. He had recently risen to the top of the newly created Defense Council. The 70-year-old served as Defense Minister for eight years, was also a naval commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and ran for president in 2001.
He also worked as a political adviser in a key role for Khamenei. A senior Israeli government official told Reuters that Khamenei had died and that his body had been found. Two Iranian news agencies, on the other hand, quoted a person close to Khamenei’s office, reporting that he remained firmly in command. Following unconfirmed reports of Khamenei’s death, spontaneous euphoria broke out in Tehran. Residents of the Iranian capital reported people shouting with joy from their windows. The news had been circulated, among others, by Iranian exile media outlets that can be received in Iran via satellite.
Car horns could be heard in the streets. The United States and Israel began the attacks on Saturday morning. Trump explained that the offensive, called “Operation Epic Fury,” was aimed at eliminating a security threat to the United States and giving Iranians the opportunity to overthrow their government. He accused Iran of being unwilling to reach an agreement in recent negotiations.
Iran, for its part, responded to the bombing with missile attacks against Israel and at least seven other states, including those hosting U.S. military bases. Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, reported 201 dead and 747 injured in Iran. According to the U.S. military, there were no reports of casualties among American soldiers. The attacks were preceded last week by failed negotiations between the United States and Iran.
The main issues were Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Trump had amassed a massive U.S. military presence in the region. “Our goal is to defend the American people by eliminating the immediate threats posed by the Iranian regime,” Trump said after the attacks began. Later, he told the news portal Axios that he could continue the operation for a long time and “take everything,” or end it within two or three days. Iran will take years to recover from the attack.
