US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed, marking a dramatic escalation in rhetoric amid intensifying US and Israeli military operations inside Iran.
In a lengthy post published on his platform Truth Social, Trump declared that Khamenei was “dead” and described the moment as “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”
Trump alleged that US intelligence, working closely with Israel, had successfully tracked Iranian leadership figures and suggested that heavy bombing would continue throughout the week or as long as necessary.
Trump’s statement has not been independently verified, and no official confirmation has been issued by Iran or evidence provided by the US or Israel.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told ABC News that both Supreme Leader Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were “safe and sound.”
Seyyed Mehrdad Seyyed Mahdi, head of public relations at the Office of the Supreme Leader, described the reports as psychological warfare, according to Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency.
Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “not in a position to confirm” Israeli media reports that Iran’s supreme leader had been killed.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “growing signs” that Khamenei was “gone,” though Israel has not formally confirmed his death.
The Israel Defense Forces also said it had “eliminated” what it described as the Iranian regime’s defence leadership in its opening wave of attacks. In a social media statement, the IDF claimed that Ali Shamkhani, a senior security adviser, Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s minister of defence, were among those killed. Iran has not confirmed these claims.
The BBC also reported that high-resolution satellite imagery taken over Tehran showed significant damage to part of the Leadership House compound, the office of Ayatollah Khamenei. The image, captured by Airbus, showed blackened buildings, debris and smoke rising from the site, suggesting heavy bombardment in the area. The extent of casualties remains unclear.
Who is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
As Supreme Leader, Khamenei is Iran’s highest political and religious authority, holding ultimate control over the armed forces, judiciary, state broadcasting apparatus and key strategic decisions. He appoints senior military commanders and wields significant influence over foreign policy, security matters and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Unlike Iran’s elected president, the Supreme Leader is not chosen through direct public vote but is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics. The position stands above the executive and legislative branches of government.
If confirmed, Khamenei’s death would represent one of the most consequential political developments in the modern history of Iran and the region. It could trigger a power struggle within Iran’s political and security institutions, particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which plays a central role in the country’s governance and regional posture.
Notably, countries in the region are concerned that instability in Iran will spill into the wider region, with hopes earlier in the week that diplomacy could avoid the latest conflict.
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