On Saturday, February 28, 2026, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to claim that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was allegedly assassinated in the US-Israel strikes.
Trump first announced on a Truth Social video that the US and Israel have launched a joint attack on Iran. He also called upon members of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Cops) to lay down arms in exchange for immunity.
The operation, dubbed “Roaring Lion” by Israel and “Operation Epic Fury” by the US, targeted key officials, including Khamenei’s compound, and launched airstrikes in the cities of Tehran, Qom, Karaj, Isfahan, and Kermanshah.
Ali Khamenei is DEAD.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 28, 2026
Hours after the attack, Trump announced that Khamenei had been killed in the attacks. “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 wrote.
“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,” the President continued.
“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’ Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves,” he stated.
“That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” Trump shared.
Iranian media initially refuted the claims, with no official word about Khamenei’s alleged death, at the time of writing. According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies first assured that Khamenei remained “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.”
Iranian state media also reported that the head of public relations at Khamenei’s office claimed that the nation’s enemies were attempting “mental warfare.” The official reportedly said, “The enemy is resorting to mental warfare; all should be aware.”
However, new reports from Reuters revealed Iranian state media confirmed the news of his death. “We have lost a great leader and we are mourning him, a leader who was unique in in terms of purity of spirit, strength of faith, resourcefulness in affairs, courage in the face of the arrogant, and jihad in the path of God,” a statement from Iran‘s Revolutionary Guards reportedly mentioned.
Emotion overtook an Iranian TV presenter as he struggled to hold back tears while announcing reports of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint US-Israeli attacks.#Iranian #Khamenei #Tehran #MiddleEastConflict #Dubai #TelAviv pic.twitter.com/38UBV7JvWb
— Amardeep Yadav (@iAmardeepYadav) March 1, 2026
Previous reports also alleged that Khamenei’s family members, including his daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and grandchild, were killed in the strikes. Semi-official Iranian news agency Fars, which is linked with the IRGC, also mentioned that Khamenei’s daughter-in-law was reported to be killed.
