Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Confirmed Dead After US-Israeli Strikes

Iranian state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died, following military strikes that hit Tehran on Saturday. Iranian state television announced his death early Sunday, and authorities declared 40 days of national mourning along with seven days of public holidays to observe the period of grief.

Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and was a pivotal figure in shaping both domestic policy and the country’s regional role. His death comes amid a major offensive by the United States and Israel that also targeted other senior officials and strategic sites across the country, escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising concerns about potential wider conflict.

Iran’s leadership described his death as martyrdom, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed “severe punishment” for those responsible, signaling possible retaliation.