Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in strike, Trump says
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday, according to President Donald Trump and Israeli officials.
What they're saying:
Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday late afternoon to say Khamenei was dead.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. 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. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," he wrote, in part.
Various Israeli officials had earlier told FOX News and the Associated Press that Khamenei had been killed.
FILE - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after casting his vote for the presidential runoff election on July 5, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Earlier:
As the attack on Iran unfolded, Trump urged the Iranian public to "seize control of your destiny" by rising up against the Islamic leadership. In a video announcing the "major combat operations," Trump told Iranians that "when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations."
President Trump's statement on Iran strikes
President Trump posted this 8-minute video to social media outlining his reasons for military strikes against Iran.
Also:
Several other top Iranian leaders were thought to be killed in the strike.
Israel’s military told the AP that the strikes also killed Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
The military also said its strikes took out Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Iranian Security Council and a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Mohammad Shirazi, the head of Khamenei’s military bureau.
READ MORE: Live updates: US strikes Iran amid nuclear program tensions
Iran’s supreme leader
Iran's Ali Khamenei killed in strikes
Fox News' Trey Yingst reports Iran's Supreme Leader has been killed. Israeli PM Netanyahu said Khamenei's compound was destroyed.
Big picture view:
Khamenei has ruled since 1989 and held ultimate power as he continued to shape Iran’s Islamic Republic after the revolution.
Khamenei became Iran's supreme leader after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khamenei played an important role in the movement that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the 1979 revolution.
Dig deeper:
The supreme leader has the final say on all major policies, leads Iran’s clerical establishment and personally commands the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard — the two main centers of power in the country’s theocracy.
Khamenei has no successor, a source of further uncertainty for the theocracy and Iran’s people.
What's next:
Officially, a panel of Shiite clerics is tasked with choosing one of their own as his successor.
Khamenei's second-eldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is a midranking cleric and the rumored successor. He has close ties with the Revolutionary Guard. Mojtaba served in the armed forces during the Iran-Iraq war, and is said to wield influence behind the scenes as his father's gatekeeper.
US and Israel attack Iran
US Central Command releases Iran strike footage
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commenced Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, at the direction of the President of the United States. U.S. and partner forces began striking targets at 1:15 am ET to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat. Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.
The backstory:
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, and Trump says the U.S. is starting major combat operations against Iran.
This is the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the Islamic Republic during talks over its nuclear program. Trump says Iran keeps pursuing nuclear work and missile development, and he warns U.S. casualties are possible.
Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, on Saturday evening said at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 injured.
Meanwhile:
Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region, and exchanges of fire continued into the night.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a FOX News Digital report of information from an Israeli official. Background information was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.