US-Israel Claim Khamenei Was Killed

Dubai, Sunday – Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to have been killed in a joint Israeli-US strike launched on Saturday (February 28, 2026). The Iranian government has not confirmed Khamenei's death.

Before the US-Israel attack, Khamenei had repeatedly asserted that his death was merely a matter of time and would not weaken the Iranian government. He is said to have prepared the country for a prolonged war and a leadership succession that is highly likely to be a consequence of the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a television broadcast on Saturday local time or early Sunday WIB, stated that there are increasingly strong signs indicating that Khamenei has been killed during Israel's attack on a complex believed to be his location on Saturday. Shortly after Netanyahu's speech, two Israeli officials confirmed the news and relayed it to the Associated Press.

US President Donald Trump confirmed the news of Khamenei's death through a post on his personal account on Truth Social on Sunday morning WIB. Previously, Trump had mentioned that several leaders in the highest ranks of Iran had been killed in an Israel-US attack.

There has been no confirmation regarding this from the Iranian Government. However, a public communications official at the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran has reminded that Iran's adversaries in this war are also employing psychological warfare strategies. "The enemy is conducting a mental war; all parties need to be aware of this," stated the official as quoted by Iranian state media.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that a wave of US-Israeli attacks on several areas in Iran on Saturday resulted in at least 201 fatalities and injured 747 individuals.

Iran has launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and US military bases in the Middle East region. Iran's counterattacks have activated alarm signals in Manama, Bahrain; several areas of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Doha, Qatar; Kuwait; and Saudi Arabia.

Officials from the European Union Naval Force Aspiden stated on Saturday that several fleets also received VHF transmissions from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard declaring that vessels are no longer permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

This waterway is a vital oil export route. The Strait of Hormuz connects major oil-producing countries in the Gulf region such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

An official speaking anonymously to Reuters stated that, formally, Iran has not confirmed the ban on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran has repeatedly asserted that further attacks on Iran would prompt it to take steps to close the Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, after attacking Iran, Israel also announced that it had closed all entry and exit points from the Gaza Strip in Palestine, including the Rafah border. This closure of access has also been imposed by Israel on the transportation of humanitarian aid that is desperately needed by the residents of Gaza.

Reuters reported on Sunday morning that Israel had also stopped the movement of Gazans who needed medical assistance.

(AP/AFP/Reuters)