Headline Roundup • February 28th, 2026
Iranian Leader Khamenei Killed by Israeli Strikes, Per Israeli Officials
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by joint US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, according to an Israeli official.
The Details: An Israeli strike destroyed Khamenei's compound on Saturday, according to Israeli sources. The strike was part of a joint US-Israeli operation. The Israeli military said they killed seven senior Iranian figures in the strikes and recovered Khamenei's body. A Fox News (Right bias) reporter said that the US does believe Khamenei is dead, according to a US official.
For Context: Khamenei's death is part of Operation Epic Fury, which President Trump has described as "a massive and ongoing operation" aimed at eliminating what the US and Israel see as threats from Iran and curbing its nuclear program.
What's Next: The 86-year-old Khamenei has been in power for 35 years. Iran's constitution says a council of clerics is set to select a new leader, but senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders and political leaders were killed in the strikes, leaving the chain of command in question.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Iran's militant and unyielding supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades and oversaw an era of harsh internal repression and confrontation with the United States and Israel, has died following the Israeli strike in Tehran, as his compound was reduced to rubble, a senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital.
"Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East's longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and...
Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike Saturday as part of a massive joint military operation between the U.S. and Israel, Israel's ambassador to Washington told U.S. officials.
An Israeli official confirmed to Axios that Khamenei is dead, according to Israeli intelligence.
Why it matters: The 86-year-old Khamenei led Iran for 35 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving authoritarian rulers. His death is a massive blow to the regime and could accelerate its collapse, which U.S. and Israeli officials have stated as a goal...
The U.S. and Israel launched the most ambitious attack on Iran in decades, and Israel said Khamenei had been killed in the operation.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters the Supreme Leader's body had been found.
Iranian state media cited a source close to Khamenei's office as saying: "I can tell you with confidence that the leader of the revolution is steadfast and firm in commanding the field."
Asked on NBC news about reports of Khamenei's death, Trump said: "We feel that that is a correct story."
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