The Middle East stood on a knife’s edge Saturday as Israeli officials confirmed that Iran’s supreme leader killed in sweeping airstrikes that marked one of the most audacious military operations in decades.
Two Israeli sources familiar with the matter said Ali Khamenei was killed during coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. One source said Israel had obtained a photograph of Khamenei’s body. Another said a formal announcement was being prepared.
Earlier in the evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared there were strong indications the supreme leader was “no longer with us.”
Iran swiftly rejected the claim. A Foreign Ministry spokesman insisted both the president and supreme leader were “safe and sound.” Still, Khamenei has not appeared publicly or in video statements since the strikes began.
Operation EPIC FURY: A Region Ignites
The United States and Israel launched what officials described as their most ambitious joint attack on Iran in decades. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found.
Iran denounced the assault as illegal and unprovoked. In response, it fired missiles not only at Israel but at least seven other countries, including Gulf states hosting U.S. bases.
U.S. President Donald Trump framed the operation as a decisive step to neutralize what he called a decades-old threat and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump urged Iranian security forces to lay down arms and called on citizens to rise against their leaders once the bombing subsided.
Netanyahu said Khamenei’s compound had been obliterated and that senior Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear officials were killed. Three sources said Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were among the dead. Iranian media also reported that Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law were killed.
The Pentagon said it had repelled hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones without U.S. casualties. The campaign was formally named Operation EPIC FURY.
