US and Israel Assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, Israeli Officials Say; Iran Denies

On February 28 the United States and Israel launched a major, coordinated assault on Iran that U.S. and Israeli officials described as aimed at toppling Tehran’s leadership.

“Iran has targeted United States assets across the Gulf Arab states in retaliation for a huge joint attack on Iran by the US and Israel, sparking fears of a regional conflagration”

Al Jazeera

Multiple Western outlets reported that U.S. and Israeli sources said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the operation, while Iranian authorities denied those claims.

Al Jazeera

Reports described the action as intended to remove Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and to change its leadership.

Israeli and U.S. officials framed the strikes as extensive and targeted.

Israeli forces described a very large air campaign that struck missile sites, air‑defense systems and command centers.

Al-Monitor

Satellite imagery and witness accounts showed heavy damage near Khamenei’s compound and other high‑security sites in Tehran.

Iranian state-linked sources and the Red Crescent reported substantial civilian casualties.

U.S. and Israeli officials emphasized that the campaign hit Revolutionary Guard command centers, launch sites and airfields.

Claims about the fate of Iran’s top officials have been directly contradictory across sources.

“Israeli officials say Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei has been killed”

Associated Press News

Some U.S. and Israeli officials — and a U.S. defense source quoted by U.S. outlets — said Khamenei was killed and that several senior commanders died.

Iranian state media and government spokespeople denied this and said senior figures remained safe.

Independent confirmation was not available in the reporting.

The strikes sparked immediate regional retaliation and a wider security shock.

Reporting describes Iran and Iran-linked groups firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. bases across the Gulf, incidents in several Arab states, and at least some infrastructure and civilian sites damaged in Gulf cities.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Many incoming threats were reported intercepted, and multiple governments called emergency meetings or issued condemnations as the flight-to-safety and air-defense operations unfolded.

Political leaders framed the operation in stark terms.

President Donald Trump described the campaign as necessary to stop an 'intolerable' threat and urged Iranians to rise up against their rulers.

Atlantic Council

Israeli officials said the campaign would continue until the perceived existential threat was removed.

Several sources said Washington had not briefed allies in advance, prompting emergency UN, EU and regional responses.