Iran’s state television on Sunday confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announcing the news during an early morning broadcast without citing the cause. A presenter said Khamenei died at about 5:00 a.m. local time (0130 GMT), as the channel aired archive footage with a black banner to signal national mourning. He was 86.
Khamenei had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the country’s longest-serving paramount figure since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. State television did not refer to reports of a major United States and Israeli attack on his residence, and Iranian authorities have not provided further details on the circumstances surrounding his death.
The confirmation followed statements by U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday claiming Khamenei was killed in air strikes, remarks that had not been verified by Tehran at the time. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” adding that his death was “Justice for the people of Iran” and others harmed by the Iranian leader and his associates.
Trump also claimed Khamenei had been “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems,” and argued that the development created an opening for political change in Iran. “The US President said the death of Khamenei gave Iranians their ‘greatest chance’ to ‘take back their country,’” according to his post, which also alleged defections within Iran’s security forces.
In further remarks, Trump said U.S. military operations would continue, writing that “heavy and pinpoint bombing… will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world.” Iranian officials have yet to respond publicly to these claims.
