Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed during a major joint military operation carried out by the United States and Israel, marking one of the most dramatic escalations in Middle East tensions in decades.
Iranian state media confirmed his death early Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump publicly announced that the 86-year-old cleric had been killed in what he described as the opening phase of a sustained campaign. Israeli officials also confirmed that the strikes targeted senior figures within Iran’s leadership and security establishment.
Explosions were reported across Tehran for a second consecutive day, with thick smoke visible over parts of the capital. Witnesses described scenes of confusion as residents rushed indoors and security forces moved into key districts. Communications in parts of the city were reportedly disrupted.
The operation appears to represent the most extensive US military action aimed at Iran’s leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israeli military officials described it as the largest air operation in the history of the country’s air force.
Iranian authorities said hundreds of people were killed or wounded in strikes that hit multiple locations. One reported strike on a school in southern Iran was said by officials to have caused significant civilian casualties, although independent verification has not been possible.
Israel and US officials said additional senior Iranian figures were also killed, including military and security leaders closely aligned with Khamenei. Iranian state media reported that members of Khamenei’s family were among those killed, though details remain limited.
In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks across several Middle Eastern locations. Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and other regional centres. Israeli emergency services confirmed casualties following missile impacts near Tel Aviv, while authorities in the United Arab Emirates also reported fatalities and injuries.
The escalation prompted multiple countries, including Iran, Israel and several Gulf states, to close their airspace to civilian flights. Airlines cancelled services across the region amid mounting security concerns.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global oil shipments, became a focal point of concern after Iranian Revolutionary Guard-linked channels warned of its closure. It remains unclear whether shipping traffic has been formally suspended, but energy markets reacted sharply to the threat of disruption in the vital waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.
Political uncertainty inside Iran intensified following confirmation of Khamenei’s death. As supreme leader since 1989, he was the country’s highest authority, overseeing the military, judiciary and key state institutions. His death raises immediate questions over succession and the future direction of the Islamic Republic.
Opposition figures outside Iran called for mass mobilisation, while senior Iranian officials vowed resistance. One senior security official declared that Iran would respond decisively to what he described as foreign aggression.
International reaction was swift. Oman, which had been mediating recent diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington, called for an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session, though no resolution has yet emerged.
Only days earlier, US and Iranian officials had held indirect discussions in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear programme. President Trump had indicated dissatisfaction with the pace of negotiations and signalled that military options remained under consideration.
The scale of the strikes and the targeting of Iran’s top leadership signal a profound shift in the regional security landscape. Analysts warn that the situation could trigger a broader conflict across the Middle East, with far-reaching implications for global energy supplies, financial markets and geopolitical stability.
As developments continue to unfold, governments worldwide are closely monitoring the situation amid fears of sustained hostilities and economic disruption.
