Israel report claims Iran’s supreme leader ‘Ali Khamenei is dead’ after joint US-Israel strikes
JERUSSELM: ISRAEL: Israeli government believes that the Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead following overnight joint military operations carried out by the United States and Israel.
A translated update from Israeli broadcaster N12 News on Saturday, February 28, cited a senior Israeli official, stating that authorities have assessed Khamenei is “no longer with us” after coordinated strikes targeted key Iranian regime sites.
The report comes amid heightened regional tensions following the announcement of “major combat operations” by Washington earlier in the day.
Iran denies leadership losses
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back against the claims in an interview with NBC News on Saturday morning.
“As far as I know, yes, they are alive,” Araghchi said when asked directly whether Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had survived the attacks.
“Almost all officials are safe, and sound, and alive. We may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem,” he added.
Tehran has not issued any official confirmation regarding casualties at the highest levels of leadership.
Reports of senior military figures killed
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iran’s defense minister and the commander of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been eliminated, though Iranian authorities have not publicly confirmed those claims.
Separately, Barak Ravid of Axios cited an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official as saying: “Three sites where gatherings of the Iranian regime were taking place were struck simultaneously, and several senior figures essential to the management of the campaign and the regime’s governance were eliminated.”
The scale and precision of the reported strikes suggest a coordinated effort to degrade Iran’s military and political command structure.
Trump announces ‘major combat operations’
US President Donald Trump confirmed in a video address on Saturday morning that American forces had begun “major combat operations in Iran.”
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said.
He also urged the Iranian public to “take over” their government once US operations conclude, adding: “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the joint operation as an opportunity for political transformation inside Iran.
“Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands,” Netanyahu said.
