Israeli media outlet Channel 12 reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed after targeted U.S. and Israeli strikes hit his compound in central Tehran on Saturday.
Strikes and damage
More than 30 air and missile strikes reportedly targeted the compound around 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.
Satellite imagery confirmed the structure was reduced to rubble.
The whereabouts of Khamenei and his inner circle were unknown in the immediate aftermath.
An unnamed official familiar with the operation stated that around 30 key Iranian regime leaders and military chiefs were targeted in broader strikes across Iran.
Initial assessments indicated that Khamenei’s military secretary, as well as unspecified members of his family, were killed in the operation.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander General Mohammad Pakpour and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh were also confirmed killed in broader strikes across Iran.
The world changed this morning.
The United States and Israel launched a joint strike targeting Iran’s entire regime leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Defense Minister and IRGC commander are confirmed dead. Khamenei’s compound is rubble. His fate is… pic.twitter.com/S4HtN6aNj0
— Clayton Wood (@WoodClayton) February 28, 2026
Channel 12 explicitly reported, citing unnamed Israeli sources, that initial assessments indicated Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes.
The outlet said Khamenei had been inside the compound’s bunker system at the time but was not in the deeper levels designed to withstand deep impact strikes.
The report added that Khamenei, 86, was at least seriously wounded in the attack.
Iranian officials had earlier claimed that Khamenei was alive but provided no details on his condition or whereabouts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei is “alive as far as I know,” along with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other top officials.
At 3:05 p.m. Eastern Time, Fox News confirmed, citing sources familiar with battle damage assessments, that Khamenei was confirmed killed.
That report, which cited senior Israeli officials, indicated that Khamenei’s body was recovered from the rubble of his compound.
Legacy and succession
Khamenei, born April 19, 1939, served as the Supreme Leader of Iran from June 4, 1989, until his death.
He was elected by the Assembly of Experts the day after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini and became the second supreme leader after a short period as acting leader.
Under his role he held near-absolute power, including command of the armed forces and authority over the judiciary and half the members of the Guardian Council.
He oversaw the crushing of multiple waves of protests, including the 1999 student uprising, the 2009 Green Movement, the 2017–2019 economic protests, and the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests.
Human rights organizations report thousands of Iranians were killed in the regime’s brutal recent crackdowns, which U.S. officials cited as a motivating factor for Saturday’s strikes.
There is no official appointed successor as of Khamenei’s death.
Under Iran’s constitution, the 88-member Assembly of Experts must convene to elect the next supreme leader, which is a lifetime position.
No heir had been publicly named before Khamenei’s death.
