Regime Decapitated: Khamenei Dead After Joint US-Israel Operation
Iran confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, after joint US-Israeli strikes demolished his Tehran compound and eliminated dozens of the regime’s top officials.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 and the head of what the US government has long designated the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — was killed Saturday in a joint US-Israeli military operation targeting Tehran, Iranian state media has confirmed.
Iranians in multiple cities took to the streets in celebration, even as the Islamic Republic declared 40 days of mourning.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.”
Trump called the moment “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”
How It Happened
Israeli and US intelligence had been monitoring senior Iranian officials for weeks. According to the Wall Street Journal, they identified Khamenei’s location alongside two separate gatherings of senior officials occurring simultaneously on Saturday morning.
Israeli jets subsequently dropped 30 bombs on Khamenei’s compound in the city’s Pasteur district. Satellite imagery obtained by the New York Times showed the complex demolished, as Iranian state media confirmed that the Ayatollah’s daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law were also killed in the raid.
The opening strikes eliminated more than 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures, a senior Israeli official told Fox News, in what has widely been reported as one of the largest leadership decapitation operations in modern warfare history.
Among those confirmed killed are IRGC commander General Mohammad Pakpour, who directed the regime’s January massacre of protesters; senior security adviser Ali Shamkhani; Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh; armed forces chief of staff General Abdolrahim Mousavi; and the head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.
“The people that make all the decisions — most of them are gone,” Trump told NBC News.
Israel’s 200 fighter jets struck approximately 500 targets in the largest air operation in the country’s history, while the US military conducted over 900 strikes across 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The Pentagon codenamed the US component Operation Epic Fury. Israel dubbed its operation Roar of the Lion.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Khamenei died “in the opening blow.”
“Whoever acted to destroy Israel — was destroyed,” Katz said. “Justice has been served, and the axis of evil has suffered a crushing blow.”
What Led to the Strike
In a direct address to the nation on Saturday, Trump catalogued 47 years of Iranian-sponsored terror as justification for the strikes.
He cited the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 American servicemen, Iran’s arming of Hamas ahead of the 7 October 2023 attacks that killed more than 1,000 people — including 46 Americans — and ongoing Iranian attacks against US forces across the Middle East.
The US president also pointed to the regime’s killing of tens of thousands of its own citizens during nationwide protests triggered by economic collapse in the months before the strikes.
The Trump administration had demanded Iran permanently end uranium enrichment, cap its ballistic missile programme, and cease support for terrorist proxies.
Indirect nuclear talks were held in Oman in February, however, on Thursday night, envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff called Trump to report the talks had failed, and that Iran would not end enrichment or surrender its missiles.
US intelligence simultaneously assessed that Tehran was considering pre-emptive strikes on American targets in the region. By Saturday morning, the operation was underway.
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops and innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump said.
Inside Iran: Celebration and Chaos
According to multiple reports, celebrations broke out across numerous Iranian cities as news of Khamenei’s death spread — including in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj and Kermanshah.
Statues of the Supreme Leader were toppled, including in Mohr County, Fars Province. Reports have also emerged that the city of Abdanan in western Iran had been seized from IRGC control by its own residents.
Heavy fighting was likewise reported at Evin Prison in Tehran, the facility where the regime holds its political prisoners — including dozens of Christians arrested on fabricated espionage charges.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi issued a statement calling the operation a “humanitarian intervention” targeting the regime, not the Iranian people.
He urged security forces to join the nation rather than defend a collapsing regime, and told Iranians to remain home until he communicates the moment for “the final action.”
Israel also sent a separate message to Iranian military personnel by hacking Iran’s most popular prayer app to send notifications to potentially millions of phones, urging them to defect.
The Regime Strikes Back
Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the region, with one Iranian ballistic missile striking a city block in Tel Aviv, killing at least one woman and injuring 21 others.
Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel and Dubai International Airport were also struck by Iranian drones, with casualties reported.
Additionally, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain was reportedly hit as Iran’s IRGC declared all American and Israeli assets in the Middle East legitimate targets.
US and Israeli strikes were continuing as of Sunday morning. Trump said the bombing would persist “throughout the week, or as long as necessary,” to achieve what he called “peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world.”
Further Updates
CIA intelligence: The CIA tracked Khamenei’s movements for months prior to Saturday’s strike, sharing intelligence with Israel to time the operation during a leadership meeting at his Pasteur district compound, CBS News, Fox News, and the New York Times has reported.
Successor killed: Mojtaba Khamenei — Khamenei’s son and widely expected successor — was also killed in the opening strikes, alongside other family members, with Iranian state media confirming the deaths.
Media blackout: Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB was targeted in the strikes, with its headquarters destroyed and all regime-controlled channels going dark. Israel also conducted cyber operations against Iranian news networks. The combined effect has reportedly been a complete propaganda blackout inside Iran.
Basij strikes: Israeli jets struck the Basij paramilitary — the IRGC’s crowd-control force responsible for suppressing domestic protests. More than 1,000 Basij members were reported killed in the strikes, according to Israeli military sources, though the figure has not been independently verified. Reuters confirmed that the Basij headquarters was hit.
Air superiority: The IDF announced that all senior leaders of what it called Iran’s “Axis of Terror” had been eliminated. Trump separately told reporters that Iran’s entire military command “is gone.” Israeli Defence Minister Katz confirmed Israeli jets were flying continuously over Tehran in nonstop operations against regime and security targets approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu. The IDF has subsequently declared air superiority over Iranian airspace.
Regional retaliation: Iranian retaliatory strikes spread well beyond Israel. A missile struck the residential area of Beit Shemesh, approximately 30 kilometres from Jerusalem, killing nine people and injuring 27. Iranian drones also struck Oman’s Port of Duqm, wounding one person, and debris from a drone caused a fire at a shopping mall in Sharjah, UAE, with reports of people trapped in the rubble. An Iranian drone was intercepted near Dubai’s Burj Khalifa before impact.
Gulf strikes: A Palau-flagged oil tanker, the Skylight, was attacked by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, catching fire with four crew members injured. Iran also struck a UAE oil platform in the Persian Gulf. Gulf governments reported the scale of the Iranian barrage: the UAE alone faced 137 missiles and 209 drones, of which the vast majority were intercepted. Qatar was struck by 66 missiles; Bahrain by 45 missiles and 9 drones. Iran fired roughly as many missiles at the UAE as it did at Israel. The UAE announced the closure of its stock market for Monday and Tuesday.
Saudi pressure: The Washington Post reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman privately urged President Trump to strike Iran while publicly calling for diplomacy — a claim that has not been independently verified but aligns with the broader shift among Gulf states against Tehran.
Netanyahu’s vow: Netanyahu vowed further escalation. “In the coming days, we will strike thousands of targets of the terrorist regime,” he said. “We will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to free themselves from the chains of tyranny.”
Naval destruction: Trump announced Sunday that US forces had destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. “We are going after the rest — they will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding that Iran’s naval headquarters had also been “largely destroyed.”
15 countries targeted: In the 24 hours following the opening strikes, Iran attacked — directly or through proxies — 15 different countries or their military assets, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
Missile launchers halved: The New York Times, citing satellite analysis, has reported that approximately half of Iran’s known ballistic missile launchers were destroyed within the first 48 hours of the operation.
Immunity requests: Trump announced Sunday that thousands of Iranian officials had contacted the United States requesting immunity.
UK authorises strikes: The UK government authorised the US to launch strikes on Iran from British military bases. Iranian missiles came within 200 metres of British troops stationed in Bahrain, Reuters and the Telegraph reported, prompting the Starmer government’s decision.
IRIB hacked: Israel hacked Iran’s state television channel IRIB3, replacing its broadcast with a direct address to the Iranian people from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The hack followed Israel’s earlier infiltration of Iran’s most popular prayer app.
2,000 targets hit: The New York Times has reported that more than 2,000 targets have been struck across Iran by US and Israeli forces since the operation began on Saturday morning.
Tabriz base destroyed: B-2 bombers obliterated a deep underground ballistic missile base in Tabriz, with before-and-after satellite imagery confirming total destruction of the facility, per the New York Times.
Iran seeks talks: Potential new Iranian leadership reached out to President Trump to open negotiations, Fox News reported. Trump said he would “eventually” talk, but that strikes would continue in the meantime. He separately indicated the campaign could last up to four weeks.
Australian mosque events: Calls were made to Australian Federal Police and state authorities to shut down and investigate multiple mosques across Australia following planned events to honour Khamenei — who heads an organisation proscribed as a terrorist group in Australia.
Australians stranded: More than 100,000 Australians are trapped in the Middle East amid the conflict, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed, with evacuation chaos reported in Dubai and Bahrain.
US casualties expected: Trump told reporters Sunday that American casualties were “likely” as the campaign continued. “There will likely be more,” he said, adding that the operation remained a “noble mission.”
More to come.
___
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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No sign of defection from the IRGC. Unarmed Iranians cannot overthrow the regime. Alireza Araki, a mullah, appointed interim religious Spiritual Leader . Big mistake -Iranian attacks on Gulf countries and on European countries’ business groups there. Shutting Gulf of Hormuz damages World economics , especially China, its friend and major customer for cheap oil. Big problem for Australian economy since we closed our Oil Refineries years ago ! Killing of Iranian girls at school apparently committed by Iran as ploy to blame USA + Israel?Before the hit I saw a video of young school girls cheering the death of Khamenei . Iranian attack on Cyprus (member of NATO ). Iran not easy to overthrow as spent about 50 years tightening its murderous grip on Iranian society and funding proxies in many countries like Lebanon, Iraq, etc and including Australia. Supported by Shia Pakistanis in UK and Shia Muslims promoting Palestinian Marches here .Contrast with Sunni Muslims (eg of Gulf countries who want peaceful co- existence ). Of course, not all Muslims bad, but, Australian govt. has for many years imported mostly the ones who share Iran’s ideology.
Very in-depth analysis! Great work Kurt!!!!
” Jerusalem Post ” reports about the Ayatollah ‘s death “……scores of mosques across Australia holding mourning vigils for…….a towering leader of the faith, resistance, and unwavering devotion to Islam and humanity ” , and, “may our souls be sacrificed for him “, and , for the “pure souls of the martyrs who rose in the face of American-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran “. 40 days of mourning.
No mention I see of the little children either Israel or the US killed!?
shhhh, it was a big beautiful attack!
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/28/children-dead-as-missile-hits-elementary-school-in-southern-iran
Thank you Kurt for concise and accurate summary . Much appreciate your work!
No, not just celebrations, there are millions of Iranian taking to the streets in protest to the US and Israel strikes.
Now they have hit a hospital and apartment buildings. Trump just told the Iranians to “go, take over your govt now” great advice for them to do that as they rain down bombs on the govt buildings! Where does he think they’ll find them to overrun them, on a beach!?
Now confirmed reports of “double tap” missile strikes. More than likely from Israel. A double tap is a dog act and targets civilians. They hit a spot with a weak missile to cause small damage and casualties, as others rush to help they hit the exact spot with a full on missile designed for maximum damage. This was carried out in Gaza and now they are doing it in Iran.
You want to cheer all this on? These reports here are so lopsided its sickening.
I don’t support the Islam regimes at all, I believe the former leader was an animal, but the response is no betterand just as brutal. When Trump first encouraged the people of Iran to rise up help is coming which didn’t, what did that stupid ignorant statement achieve? The slaughter of an estimated 30,000 people. If anyone thinks this is all good then you are delusional. Is this what Christ wants? I think a lot if of you actually believe it is.
Unbelievable.
Terrorism is like a sin. It must be eliminated before it destroys you. We must not compromise with it
Thanks Kurt. I celebrate with the Iranians.
Sadly, children in particular have suffered. But the survivors of the IRGC slaughter in the streets now have the chance to live.