Iranian State Media Reports Death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Kathmandu — Iranian state media has reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died following large-scale attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Saturday.
The reports emerged shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Khamenei had died. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier claimed that Khamenei’s residence in Tehran was destroyed in a powerful and sudden strike, adding that there were “strong indications” the 86-year-old cleric was no longer alive.
According to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Khamenei died on Saturday morning while “busy at work” in his office. Iranian state television aired official statements confirming his death.
Meanwhile, BBC Verify reported that satellite imagery confirmed severe damage to several sections of the Leadership House compound in Tehran, where Khamenei’s office is located. Footage verified by the BBC showed explosions occurring within one kilometer of the compound.
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that Khamenei’s death at his office disproved earlier reports suggesting he had been in hiding, calling such claims “psychological warfare by enemies.”
Explosions were reported around 9:30 am local time in Tehran, with smoke seen rising from areas including Jamahuri Square and Hasan Abad Square. Additional blasts were heard in several cities across the country, including Karaj near Tehran, Isfahan in central Iran, Qom, and Kermanshah in the west.
Videos circulating on social media showed panicked civilians running near blast sites, with screams and cries audible in the background. Satellite images obtained by the BBC revealed extensive destruction within the Leadership House compound, including blackened buildings, debris, and smoke.
It remains unclear whether Khamenei was present at the exact location during the initial phase of the attack. Earlier in the day, when asked about his condition, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the BBC he was “not in a position to confirm anything.”
In a televised address later Saturday evening, Netanyahu stated, “We destroyed the dictator Khamenei’s compound in the heart of Tehran. There are strong indications that the dictator himself is no longer there.”
Trump later wrote on Truth Social: “One of the worst people in history, Khamenei, is dead,” adding that he could not evade advanced intelligence and tracking systems working closely with Israel. He described the development as a major opportunity for the Iranian people.
Reports also indicated that the first wave of strikes targeted the office of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran. Iranian state television confirmed that President Pezeshkian was safe and later released a statement.
Throughout the day, multiple attacks and explosions were reported across Iran. Monitoring groups observed a near-total internet blackout across much of the country on Saturday morning.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported explosions in Tehran, Karaj, and Qom, as well as in western provinces including Lorestan, Hamadan, Kermanshah, and Ilam; in the northwest city of Tabriz; and parts of the southern Gulf province of Hormozgan, including Qeshm Island.
Additional explosions were reported in Dezful in the west; outskirts of Shiraz and Kerman in the south; Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan in the northwest; Markazi province; Qazvin and Zanjan in the north; and Sistan-Baluchestan in the southeast.
By Saturday evening, a spokesperson for the Iranian Red Crescent said that 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces had been targeted in U.S. and Israeli strikes. As of 8:45 pm local time, at least 201 people had been killed and 747 injured nationwide, though detailed regional breakdowns were not immediately provided.
State-run media also reported that at least 85 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab, located in Hormozgan province.
