BREAKING: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is Dead

Israel and the U.S. launched a combined offensive against Iran this morning (Saturday). The center of the attack is focused on Iran's ballistic missile project, the destruction of nuclear facilities, and targeting the regime's leadership.

One of the dramatic successes of the offensive is the assassination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. An Israeli source reported that his body was found together with other senior officials in the Iranian regime. Some reports indicate his body was found riddled with shrapnel and has been removed from the palace (or what remains of it).

Khamenei was born in 1939 in Mashhad and has been the Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989. He received a religious education in Mashhad and was the primary student of Ruhollah Khomeini. In the 1960s and 70s, he operated against the Shah's regime and was arrested several times by the secret police. After the 1979 revolution, he held senior positions including Deputy Defense Minister, supervisor of the Revolutionary Guard, and Friday prayer leader in Qom.

Between 1981–1989, he served as Iran's third president under Khomeini's leadership. In June 1981, he was seriously injured in an assassination attempt involving a booby-trapped tape recorder and lost the use of his right hand. Upon Khomeini's death in 1989, he was appointed Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts after the constitution was specifically changed to allow his appointment despite not holding the religious status of "Marja."

Khamenei held final authority over foreign affairs, security, the military, and the economy in Iran. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Revolutionary Guard reported directly to him. He was identified with the extreme conservative camp and worked over the years to suppress the reformist camp and block attempts at dialogue with the West. He oversaw the suppression of the protests following the 2009 elections and the 2022 riots following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Khamenei was the architect of the "Axis of Resistance" and led Iranian expansion in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. He provided extensive support and funding to terrorist organizations and militias, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. He was responsible for advancing the Iranian nuclear program, which led to severe international sanctions.

In April and October 2024, he ordered direct missile and drone attacks from Iranian territory toward Israel. In June 2025, the neighborhood where he resided in Tehran was attacked as part of a military operation. Today, as stated, he was killed during "Operation Lion's Roar."