President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a statement on Saturday night, calling the Islamist dictator “one of the most evil people in History.” The Iranian regime and Jerusalem also announced his demise.
Khamenei, 86, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on his compound in Tehran on Saturday morning local time.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the world, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump said.
Trump called the killing of the clerical ruler, who continued to lead the Islamic revolution in Iran against the United States and Israel for 36 years, “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” Trump said that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and other military, police and security forces will be given immunity now, but later “will only get Death!”
“Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves,” Trump wrote, adding that “the process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed, and, even, obliterated.” Trump warned that “the heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement on Sunday that Tehran views avenging the leader’s killing as “legitimate duty and right.”
“The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shia Islam worldwide … is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims,” he stated.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime,” he added.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that it had eliminated Khamenei, calling him the “Supreme Leader of the Iranian terror regime since 1989" in a statement.
“Ali Khamenei was targeted in a precise, large-scale operation carried out by the Israeli Air Force, guided by accurate IDF intelligence, while he was in his central leadership compound in the heart of Tehran, where he was together with additional senior officials,” the IDF said.
“The IDF has brought to an end a decades-long chapter with the elimination of the leader of the Iranian terror axis,” the military added.
The IDF accused him of orchestrating attacks against Israel, directing Iran-backed armed terrorist groups across the Middle East and ordering the violent suppression of Iranian civilians over decades.
The military described Khamenei as “the architect of the plan to destroy the State of Israel” as the “head of the Iranian octopus” and the driving force behind the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon and other members of the “Iranian terror axis.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday morning that the “tyrant Khamenei is thwarted in the opening strike of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’ along with other senior figures in the Iranian terror fortress.”
The minister continued: “He who acted to destroy Israel—has been destroyed. Justice has been served, and the axis of evil has suffered a mortal blow.”
Katz congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “for the leadership and resolve, and to the IDF for the brilliant execution,” adding that “we will continue to act with full force to defend the State of Israel.”
Iranian state media also confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday, announcing 40 days of public mourning and seven days of public holiday.
Israel and the United States advanced Saturday’s strikes in Iran to hit while Khamenei was huddling with senior aides, according to two U.S. sources and a U.S. official, Reuters reported early Sunday.
Israeli officials say Khamenei was killed along with key lieutenants, among them former Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour.
Two Iranian sources said Khamenei met at a secure site on Saturday with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani shortly before the bombing began.
The American sources said confirmation that Khamenei was in session with his top advisers triggered the joint Israeli-U.S. air and naval operation. One U.S. official said planners insisted on striking Khamenei first to preserve surprise, fearing he would slip into hiding if warned.
One source added that the session was initially expected on Saturday evening in Tehran, but Israeli intelligence picked up that the meeting was taking place that morning, prompting commanders to move the attack window forward.
