BREAKING: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Confirmed Dead After Joint U.S.–Israeli Strikes.click the link below to see what happen

Iranian state media has confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s Supreme Leader since 1989, is dead at age 86 following a major wave of military strikes by the United States and Israel that began late on February 28, 2026.

The announcement was made early on Sunday by Iran’s state-run television and official news agencies, ending hours of conflicting reports about his fate.

The Iranian government has declared a 40-day period of national mourning and seven days of public holidays after the confirmation.

Iranian officials described Khamenei’s death as martyrdom and called on citizens to honor his memory, while warning of consequences for those they hold responsible.

The joint U.S.–Israeli operation, part of what American and Israeli leaders have described as an effort to dismantle Iran’s military command structure and curb its regional influence, unleashed a barrage of missiles and airstrikes across Iranian territory.

Earlier reports from Washington and Tel Aviv claimed Khamenei had been killed in the bombardments, comments later echoed by state media.

Khamenei’s long rule saw Iran become a central actor in Middle Eastern geopolitics, championing resistance movements against Israel and the United States while expanding the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Domestically, his tenure was marked by crackdowns on dissent and widespread protests driven by economic and social grievances.

In response to the news of his death, Iran’s military has launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against U.S. bases and Israeli targets in the region, heightening concerns of a broader conflict.

The Islamic Republic has pledged “severe” reprisals, and explosions have been reported across multiple countries hosting U.S. forces.

The death of Iran’s supreme leader — with no designated successor yet announced — creates a profound leadership vacuum in Tehran and signals a potentially volatile shift in the already tense Middle East.