US and Israel Kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Joint Air Strikes

Reports on Khamenei's death

Joint U.S.–Israeli air strikes struck targets in Tehran and, according to multiple outlets, killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior Iranian figures — an event described as one of the biggest blows to Tehran’s leadership since 1979.

Al Jazeera reported that Joint US‑Israeli air strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior Iranian officials, in what has been described as one of the biggest blows to the country’s leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

AP News likewise said Iran’s state media confirmed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed after an apparent U.S.-Israeli airstrike in Tehran, and that U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier announced the strike and Khamenei’s death.

The Guardian summed up the operation as a US–Israeli air campaign reported as 'Lion’s Roar' that struck hundreds of targets across Iran and, according to multiple reports, killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with senior military figures.

CNN reported that Iranian state media said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Tehran that also showed black smoke over his compound in satellite images.

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Intelligence on Khamenei strike

Multiple sources say the operation followed months of intelligence collection and close U.S.–Israeli cooperation, and that U.S. agencies tracked Khamenei’s movements and timed the strike for a meeting of senior officials. The New York Times reported that “the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior Iranian officials resulted from close intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel,” adding that the CIA had tracked Khamenei for months, grew more confident about his locations and movement patterns, and learned a meeting of top Iranian leaders would take place Saturday morning at a leadership compound in central Tehran.

The BBC wrote that “U.S. and Israeli forces spent months planning a mission that, the article says, killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,” and that they timed the strike for a Saturday morning after receiving crucial intelligence hours earlier that he would be at a central Tehran compound and had been tracking his movements for months. PBS similarly noted that “Khamenei … was reportedly tracked by the CIA for months,” and said an unnamed source reported U.S. intelligence was shared with Israel and influenced the timing of the strikes.

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Strikes, retaliation, impacts

The strikes set off immediate military exchanges, broad regional disruption and reported casualties.

AP News summarized that initial strikes reportedly hit Khamenei’s offices and other Tehran sites, and said satellite images showed heavy bombing of his compound and that Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. bases.

PBS reported that the U.S. military said three American service members were killed, five were seriously wounded, and several others had minor injuries and concussions.

The Straits Times highlighted the wider fallout on civil aviation, saying the crisis triggered one of the worst disruptions to global aviation in years when Iran’s missile response prompted closures at major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai on Feb. 28, stranding aircraft and crews and affecting thousands of flights worldwide.

The Guardian described a rapid regional spread, saying the killing has triggered broad Iranian retaliation and a rapid regional spread of violence.

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Iran leadership succession

Tehran’s governance and public reaction were described as fragmented and uncertain, with authorities moving quickly to manage succession while domestic responses ranged from public mourning to rooftop cheers. AP News wrote that an interim council (president, judiciary chief and a Guardian Council member) assumed control and that the Assembly of Experts must choose a new supreme leader 'as soon as possible.' PBS said Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said a new leadership council had begun work and that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a successor would be chosen in 'one or two days.'

CP24 reported that Iran named a 66-year-old cleric to join a three-member leadership council that will govern until a new supreme leader is chosen. Coverage also emphasized Iran's prior domestic instability, with WTKR noting Khamenei’s long record of suppressing dissent and recent protest waves and writing that 'the most recent unrest began in late December after the rial plunged to a record low, provoking what the article calls the deadliest crackdown yet.'

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International responses and legal concerns

International responses and legal concerns were mixed: some leaders and allies expressed support for the strikes, while analysts and international officials warned of legal and strategic risks.

Al Jazeera reported U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation a 'liberation,' predicting the regime's swift collapse.

Vatican News said Trump labeled Khamenei 'one of the most evil people in history,' urged Iranians to 'take back their country,' and warned the U.S. would respond with 'force never seen before' if Iran retaliated.

The Atlantic Council highlighted legal and ethical questions, stating the killing 'raises international-law concerns and denies victims the chance to see him tried.'

The Guardian noted broader international unease: 'UN secretary-general warned of violations of international law and dangerous escalation.'

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