(TEHRAN, IRAN) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly been killed during a large scale joint military offensive by the United States and Israel, according to senior Israeli officials and intelligence assessments. His body was said to have been found in the rubble of his compound in Tehran after coordinated air strikes on Saturday.
If confirmed, the death of the 86 year old cleric, who led Iran since 1989, would mark a turning point in regional and global geopolitics. For 35 years he exercised near total authority over Iran’s political, religious and military institutions. During his rule, Iran positioned itself as a leading anti United States force in the region, backing armed groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, while advancing its nuclear and missile programmes despite sustained international pressure.
The reported killing raises the prospect of a leadership vacuum within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Analysts say that without the authority of the Supreme Leader, internal divisions could intensify, weakening central control. Combined with existing public unrest and targeted military strikes, the stability of the Islamic Republic may be tested.
Two sources familiar with Israeli military operations and a regional source said Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, are also believed to have been killed. Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that Pakpour died in strikes conducted by Israel and the United States. Tehran has not officially confirmed the deaths.
Pakpour had led the IRGC for 260 days, having been appointed after his predecessor, Hossein Salami, was killed in 2025. He was promoted to major general by Khamenei and tasked with strengthening the IRGC’s operational readiness and cohesion during a period of rising regional tension. Last month he warned Israel and the United States against miscalculation, stating that Iran stood ready to respond.
The IRGC is a central pillar of Iran’s security structure, overseeing missile and drone capabilities and maintaining networks of allied armed groups abroad. A strike on its leadership would represent a direct blow to Iran’s strategic command framework.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian, former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, and Army Commander Abdolrahim Mousavi remain alive. The statement appeared aimed at projecting continuity amid widespread reports and speculation.
Explosions continued across Tehran hours after the initial strikes. The Iranian Students News Agency, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that at least 201 people were killed and more than 740 injured in air strikes by the United States and Israel. Spokesperson Mojtaba Khaledi said 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces were targeted.
The United States military confirmed that the operation began at 1.15 am Eastern Time under the name Operation Epic Fury. United States Central Command said the objective was to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, focusing on sites assessed as posing imminent threats. Targets included IRGC command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone launch facilities, and military airfields. The operation was conducted from air, land and sea. The United States also deployed low cost one way attack drones in combat for the first time, signalling a shift towards mass expendable systems.
Israel described the assault as unprecedented. The Israel Defense Forces said around 200 fighter aircraft conducted strikes on approximately 500 objectives, calling it the largest air operation in the history of the Israeli Air Force. Hundreds of munitions were dropped, with emphasis on missile launch sites in western Iran, air defence systems, and other military assets. Additional strikes targeting missile launchers and air defences in central Iran were later announced.
Iran responded diplomatically and militarily. In a letter to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and the President of the United Nations Security Council, currently held by Somalia, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said United States and Israeli bases and assets in the region would be regarded as legitimate military targets. He described the operation as a violation of the United Nations Charter and said Iran would use all necessary defensive capabilities.
Retaliatory incidents were reported in Bahrain, where three residential buildings in Manama and Muharraq were damaged by drone activity and debris from an intercepted missile. Authorities said one building was evacuated and a fire extinguished. One person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.
Inside Iran, anger grew over reports of civilian casualties. State media reported that 85 people were killed in what it described as a strike on a girls’ school in Minab province. The claims have not been independently verified. President Pezeshkian condemned the reported attack, describing it as a brutal act that would not be forgotten.
The region remains on edge. The reported deaths of senior military figures, the scale of strikes across much of the country, and Tehran’s warning that United States and Israeli assets will be targeted point to the risk of broader confrontation. What began as a coordinated operation has developed into a multi front crisis with leadership uncertainty in Tehran, regional repercussions in the Gulf, and the possibility of further escalation in the coming days.
