Assassination of Ali Khamenei in Tehran During U.S.-Israeli Airstrikes on Iran

On 28/02/2026, Iran announced that its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in Tehran during a large-scale military assault carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian territory. The strikes were part of a coordinated campaign referred to by the United States as Operation Epic Fury and by Israel as Operation Roaring Lion. Iranian officials stated that the opening wave of the operation targeted strategic military facilities, nuclear infrastructure, and senior leadership positions across the country, including sites in the capital. According to the Iranian government, Ali Khamenei was killed at his residence in the Pasteur Street district of Tehran during the first phase of the airstrikes. Iranian authorities reported that the attack on the residence caused multiple casualties, including members of Khamenei’s family. State media said seven people were killed at the residence, including his daughter and several grandchildren. Other senior officials reported killed during the broader strikes included Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and senior commander Mohammad Pakpour of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Initial reports about the Supreme Leader’s fate were contested in the hours following the attack, but the Iranian government formally confirmed his death on 01/03/2026 and declared a 40-day national mourning period. Iranian officials described the strike as an assassination carried out during a broader act of war against the Islamic Republic. The attack occurred amid an escalating regional confrontation and represented the first time a sitting Supreme Leader of Iran had been killed during foreign military action since the establishment of the Islamic Republic following the Iranian Revolution. Within hours of the strike, Iran launched retaliatory attacks under the name Operation True Promise IV. Iranian forces fired waves of ballistic missiles and drones toward military and strategic targets across the region. Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beit Shemesh were struck during the retaliation. The deadliest reported incident occurred in Beit Shemesh, where a missile hit a synagogue that had been converted into a civilian shelter, killing nine people. Iranian missiles also targeted locations hosting United States forces across the Middle East. Among the sites reported targeted were Al Udeid Air Base, Al Dhafra Air Base, Ali Al Salem Air Base, and the headquarters of the United States Fifth Fleet. Iranian authorities stated the strikes were intended as retaliation for the killing of the Supreme Leader and other officials. Regional governments also reported impacts on civilian and energy infrastructure in parts of the Gulf, including disruptions at Dubai International Airport. Following the confirmation of Ali Khamenei’s death on 01/03/2026, state institutions across Iran organized mourning ceremonies and official commemorations during the 40-day mourning period. The leadership transition process was initiated through the Assembly of Experts, the constitutional body responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader.