Israel said Iran’s Supreme Leader had been killed during what it described as the most ambitious military operation against Iran in decades, carried out jointly with the United States. Tehran rejected the strikes as unprovoked and illegal and responded with missile attacks targeting Israel and several countries hosting US bases.
We obtained the first known satellite image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in Tehran. There are several destroyed buildings. While the current whereabouts of Iran's supreme leader are unknown, the compound is generally used as his official residence. 🛰️📸: @Airbus pic.twitter.com/48krjclMBL
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) February 28, 2026
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that the body of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been found. Iranian authorities have not confirmed his death.
Statements from Israeli leadership
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were strong indications that Khamenei “is no longer”. He stated that Khamenei’s compound had been destroyed and that commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior nuclear officials had been killed. Iranian media reported that Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law were among those killed.
US position and presidential remarks
US President Donald Trump described the strikes as aimed at ending what he called a long-standing threat from Iran and preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
In a video message posted overnight, Trump urged Iranian security forces to lay down their weapons and called on Iranians to topple their government once the bombing ended. He warned that US casualties were possible. Several hours later, the US Department of Defense said it had no reports of American deaths or injuries.
Regional response
Iran responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states hosting US military bases. Further details on casualties or damage have not been officially confirmed.
Source: Reuters
