Trump says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in Iran airstrikes

1st Mar 2026 00:30

(Sharecast News) - Iranian state media on Sunday confirmed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the initial American-Israeli military attacks as part of a war aimed at regime change.

US President Donald Trump had late on Saturday claimed the 86-year-old hardline ayatollah had been killed. Meanwhile the bombing across multiple Iranian provinces continued into a second day, although the immediate purpose post the assassination of the Khamenei was not clear.

Global oil markets were braced for volatility on Monday after the key Strait of Hormuz was closed to shipping. Opec+ nations were reportedly considering increasing output to offset any disruption to deliveries.

Iranian media reported on Sunday that the Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter had also been killed in Saturday's missile strikes. It also confirmed the deaths of the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security adviser.

"After establishing contact with informed sources in the supreme leader's household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of the revolutionary leader has unfortunately been confirmed," the Fars news agency reported.

Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and another top official will lead Iran in the transitional period following Khamenei's death, state media reported.

The country national security chief, Ali Larijani, said the country would hit Israeli and American targets "with a force they have never experienced before".

The surprise war came after officials from Tehran and Washington met on Thursday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme but failed to achieve a breakthrough.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote in a social media post as he claimed the Iranian leader's death, adding: "This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," Trump.

In response, Iran launched missile and drone strikes against US bases, including the headquarters of the US navy's fifth fleet in Bahrain, Israeli residential areas, and targets in other Gulf countries including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com