Iranian state media on Sunday confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, after earlier claims by American and Israeli officials that he had died.
A 40-day mourning period has been declared for the 86-year-old leader, who had ruled Iran since 1989.
The confirmation followed initial reports by Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies saying Khamenei remained “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.”
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote earlier Sunday on his Truth Social platform that Khamenei was killed in the strikes, which began early Saturday.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump wrote.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” he added. “Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier cited “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed. Reuters, quoting an unnamed senior Israeli official, reported that Khamenei’s body had been located.
Iranian authorities have long acknowledged contingency plans in the event of Khamenei’s death during conflict with the United States or Israel. His killing adds significant uncertainty to a rapidly escalating confrontation that has raised fears of a broader regional war.
Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, said Iran likely has mechanisms in place to manage the transition.
“There will probably be a council that will be set up to run the country. It may already have been running the country, as far as we know,” she told Al Jazeera.
U.N. calls for de-escalation
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that he deeply regretted that an opportunity for diplomacy had been “squandered.”
“Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world,” Guterres told the 15-member council. “I call for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities.”
Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused the United States and Israel of launching “an unprovoked and premeditated aggression,” saying the strikes hit densely populated civilian areas.
“This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime, and a crime against humanity,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz defended the action as lawful.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “That principle is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of global security.”
China’s U.N. ambassador, Fu Cong, said Beijing was deeply concerned by “the sudden escalation of regional tensions.”
Russia’s ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the strikes and demanded that the United States and Israel “immediately cease their aggressive actions.”