Iranian state and semi-official media confirmed early Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during a strike in Tehran, marking a historic turning point for the Islamic Republic. The Iranian government subsequently declared 40 days of public mourning and seven days of national holiday.
Official confirmation and circumstances
According to the semi-official Fars News Agency, Khamenei was killed in his office while “carrying out his duties” during the early hours of Saturday. The report stated that members of his family were also killed in the strike.
Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), confirmed his death, while state broadcaster IRIB announced that “the Supreme Leader attained martyrdom,” without detailing the exact circumstances.
The official state news agency IRNA also reported Khamenei’s death but did not specify the cause.
Videos circulating on social media purport to show the recovery of his body, although these have not been independently verified.
National mourning and government measures
The Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning and seven days of general holiday. State television broadcast religious chants and tributes, emphasizing that Khamenei’s “vision and mission will continue with greater strength and zeal.”
Following the official announcement, a post appeared on Khamenei’s verified account on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a Quranic verse (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:23):
“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah; of them some have fulfilled their vow, and some still await, and they have not changed in the least.”
An earlier cryptic post had referenced Imam Ali, accompanied by symbolic imagery.
Political reactions
U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social that Khamenei was dead, calling him “one of the most evil people in history.” Hours later, Iranian authorities formally confirmed the death.
The developments follow days of escalating military confrontation between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Constitutional succession process
Iran’s Constitution provides a defined mechanism for succession in the event of the Supreme Leader’s death.
The Assembly of Experts — an 88-member clerical body elected every eight years, though limited to candidates approved by the regime — is responsible for selecting the new Supreme Leader. The body previously appointed Khamenei in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Given ongoing military hostilities, convening the full Assembly may present logistical and security challenges.
In the interim, the Constitution mandates that a three-member council assume temporary leadership, consisting of:
- The President of Iran
- The Head of the Judiciary
- A clerical member of the Guardian Council
Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian is currently leading the country, alongside the parliamentary speaker and the head of the judiciary, pending the formal selection of a new Supreme Leader.
Khamenei’s legacy
Ali Khamenei, 86, had led the Islamic Republic since 1989. While Ayatollah Khomeini is widely regarded as the ideological architect of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei shaped the modern security architecture of Iran, expanding the influence of the IRGC and consolidating Iran’s regional power projection.
Before becoming Supreme Leader, Khamenei served as president during the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s, a conflict that reinforced his distrust of Western powers, particularly the United States — a defining feature of his long tenure.
His death marks one of the most consequential moments in the history of the Islamic Republic, with potentially far-reaching implications for Iran’s internal stability and the broader Middle East.
