TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iranian state media Fars reported that the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed. The announcement was made after US President Donald Trump announced the death of Khamenei on Truth Social on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
According to Sky News, Iran declared a forty-day national mourning period after he was killed in his office in the early hours of Saturday, as reported by the government media. At least four buildings in the supreme leader's compound in central Tehran were hit by bombs on Saturday, February 28, 2026, as part of a large-scale US-Israeli attack on Iran.
In addition to Khamenei, several members of his family were killed in the attack, according to the state-affiliated Fars news agency on Sunday morning. Al Arabiya reported, citing reliable sources within the family circle of the supreme leader, that Fars stated a daughter, a son-in-law, a grandchild, and a daughter-in-law of Khamenei were among the casualties.
The report came after US President Donald Trump had previously claimed that Khamenei had been killed in an airstrike. The claim was previously denied by the Iranian government media.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead," Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling it the "single greatest chance" for the people of Iran to "take back their country."
He added that the US military operation would continue.
The United States and Israel launched a military attack on Iran on Saturday, targeting the top leaders and plunging the Middle East into an increasingly widespread conflict. Trump said the operation would eliminate the security threat to the US and give the people of Iran the chance to overthrow their rulers.
Khamenei, 86, has been the supreme ruler of Iran since 1989 following the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini. As the supreme leader, he had absolute control over Iran's political, military, and religious institutions, shaping domestic policies and guiding foreign relations.
The position of supreme leader was established after the 1979 revolution and enshrined in the Iranian constitution, giving authority to senior clerics above the president and parliament. The Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 senior clerics selected by a hardline watchdog council allied with Khamenei, officially elect the leader.
Read: At Least 51 Students Killed in US-Israel Strike in Southern Iran
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