Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in IDF strikes in Tehran, claimed Israeli officials.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters on Saturday, February 28, that Khamenei’s body has been found after he was killed in the strike. Meanwhile, Iran has claimed that the Supreme Leader is safe and “commanding the field.”
Iranian state media cited a source close to Khamenei's office as saying, "I can tell you with confidence that the leader of the revolution is steadfast and firm in commanding the field."
Earlier the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also assured that Iran’s president and Supreme Leader are “safe and sound.” However, Khamenei has not made any appearance since the beginning of strikes.
This came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there are many signs that Khamenei is “no longer with us.”
As the confusion regarding Khamenei grows, US President Donald Trump told NBC News, “We feel that that is a correct story. The people that make all the decisions, most of them are gone.”
When asked about who will replace Khamenei, the US president added, “I don’t know, but at some point they’ll be calling me to ask who I’d like... I'm only being a little sarcastic when I say that."
Trump, along with Israel, started the ongoing military operation in Iran to overthrow Khamenei’s government, which has been ruling the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.
