Reuters: Senior Israeli official claims Khamenei is dead, body found UPDATED

Israel has confirmation of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the strikes on the Islamic Republic.

This claim was made by an Israeli official, whose remarks were cited by the state broadcaster Kan.

“Ali Khamenei has been eliminated,” the official said.

00:02

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead and his body has been found, a senior Israeli official told Reuters.

There was no immediate Iranian confirmation of his fate.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has ruled Iran since 1989, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the Middle East. As Supreme Leader, he wields ultimate authority over all branches of government, the armed forces, and the judiciary in the Shi’ite Islamic Republic, effectively shaping the country’s domestic and foreign policy for nearly four decades.

During his tenure, Khamenei consolidated Iran’s regional influence, building a network of allied forces and political partners to counterbalance Sunni Arab states across the Gulf. At the same time, he oversaw the expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme — a development that has long unsettled neighbouring countries and drawn sustained opposition from the United States and Israel.

Under his leadership, Iran maintained a consistently hostile stance toward Washington and Tel Aviv, while suppressing repeated waves of domestic unrest.

The strikes of 28 February come against this backdrop of entrenched regional rivalry, nuclear tensions, and mounting internal and external pressures on Tehran.