By Spy Uganda
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a sweeping U.S.-Israeli military operation early Sunday, Iranian state media confirmed, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions and plunging the Islamic Republic into political uncertainty.
The 86-year-old cleric died in an airstrike that targeted his compound in downtown Tehran, according to state television. Satellite imagery from Airbus indicated heavy bombardment of the site. Iranian broadcasters described his death at his office as symbolic, saying it showed he “stood among the people and at the forefront of his responsibilities.”
Hours before Tehran’s confirmation, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death, calling it Iran’s “greatest chance” to “take back” the country.
Iran’s state news agency reported that leadership responsibilities will temporarily be assumed by the president, the head of the judiciary, and a cleric from the Guardian Council, a 12-member body responsible for vetting legislation and overseeing elections. The arrangement follows constitutional provisions for a transitional period until a new supreme leader can be appointed by the Assembly of Experts.
State media also confirmed the deaths of the head of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a senior security adviser to Khamenei in the strikes.
The government declared 40 days of public mourning and announced a seven-day nationwide holiday. A black mourning flag was raised over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
Yet reactions in Tehran appeared mixed. Some residents told the Associated Press they heard cheers and celebratory whistles from rooftops, while others gathered in mourning.
Tehran warned of severe retaliation. In a statement, the Revolutionary Guards called the attack a “great crime” that “will never go unanswered,” threatening what it described as its “most intense offensive operation” yet against U.S. and Israeli targets.
Iran’s Red Crescent said more than 200 people were killed and 747 injured in strikes spanning 24 provinces on Saturday.
In response, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at U.S. forces in the region and cities in Israel and several Arab states aligned with Washington. Damage was reported at Dubai International Airport and the Burj Al Arab, where four people were injured. Authorities in Abu Dhabi reported one fatality and multiple injuries following an incident at Zayed International Airport.
Israel said it carried out a further wave of strikes Sunday aimed at Iran’s ballistic missile and air defense systems. Iranian state media reported additional explosions in Tehran.
The conflict has disrupted air travel across the Middle East. Israel, Iran, Qatar, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closed their airspace, stranding or diverting hundreds of thousands of travelers as the crisis unfolded.
Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was a central figure in shaping the country’s domestic and foreign policy, including its adversarial posture toward the United States and Israel. His death removes one of the region’s most influential and polarizing leaders, raising urgent questions about succession, stability within Iran’s security establishment, and the risk of a broader regional war.
As military exchanges continue, global leaders have called for restraint, warning that further escalation could draw additional powers into the conflict and destabilize energy markets and international security.
