Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed in Coordinated US-Israeli Airstrikes

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed following coordinated airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel, according to US President Donald Trump and confirmation from Iranian state media. The strikes, which targeted hundreds of locations across Iran, mark a significant escalation in tensions in the Middle East.

President Trump announced Khamenei’s death on his Truth Social platform, stating that the operation was conducted in close coordination with Israel. He said US intelligence and advanced tracking systems were used in the mission and indicated that further bombing would continue if necessary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said there were growing indications that Khamenei had been “eliminated” after strikes on his compound in Tehran.

Satellite images reviewed by international media showed extensive damage at the supreme leader’s compound in the Iranian capital, including scorched buildings and debris. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said about 200 fighter jets participated in what it described as the largest aerial operation in its history, striking approximately 500 targets across the country.

Iranian authorities initially denied reports of Khamenei’s death, with state-affiliated news agencies insisting he remained in control. However, state television later confirmed his passing in a sombre broadcast and announced a 40-day national mourning period.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured in the strikes, though it did not specify whether those affected were civilians or military personnel. In the southern town of Minab, a county prosecutor said 108 people died after a girls’ school was hit. Verified footage showed severe damage to the school, located about 600 metres from a base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting locations across the Middle East. Explosions were reported at a hotel in Dubai, while US naval facilities in Bahrain and Qatar were reportedly targeted. Strikes were also reported in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. Israeli authorities said one person was killed in a missile attack near Tel Aviv.

Iran’s foreign minister described the joint operation as “wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate.” The United Nations Secretary-General and several world leaders condemned the strikes, while the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany called on Iran to avoid further retaliation and to abandon its weapons programmes. The UN Security Council convened to discuss the developments.

The airstrikes occurred after three rounds of negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear activities. Further talks had been scheduled for the coming week, with mediators indicating that progress had been made. However, President Trump said he was dissatisfied with the pace of discussions and authorised the strikes.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the Strait of Hormuz — a key global shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass — would be closed in response to the attacks, raising concerns about wider regional and economic implications.