Iranian state television confirmed Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed following a wave of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, marking a dramatic escalation in regional tensions.
The broadcaster did not immediately provide detailed circumstances surrounding his death.
Iranian state media announced 40 days of public mourning across the country. The Supreme National Security Council said Khamenei was killed at his office early Saturday, describing his death as the start of what it called a “great uprising against the tyrants of the world.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed retaliation, saying it would “decisively avenge” Khamenei’s killing. In a statement carried by state outlets, the Guard said “the hand of revenge of the Iranian people will not let go of the killers,” framing his death as martyrdom and pledging that his path would continue.
The IRGC urged citizens to participate in national defense gatherings to demonstrate unity in the face of what it described as enemies and terrorists, adding that the killing would strengthen national resolve.
U.S. President Donald Trump, posting on Truth Social, confirmed Khamenei’s death in blunt terms, calling him “one of the most evil people in history.”