{"id":117372,"date":"2026-02-28T22:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T22:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=117372"},"modified":"2026-02-28T22:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T22:50:00","slug":"what-we-know-so-far-supreme-leader-khamenei-killed-trump-says-as-iran-launches-retaliatory-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=117372","title":{"rendered":"What we know so far: Supreme Leader Khamenei killed, Trump says, as Iran launches retaliatory strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>10 Minute, 15 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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President Donald Trump has said Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead, hours after the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on the country.<\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Khamenei\u2019s Tehran compound had been destroyed in \u201ca powerful, surprise strike\u201d and that there were many signs that the 86-year-old cleric was \u201cno more\u201d.<\/p>\n

There has been no confirmation of Khamenei\u2019s death from Iranian authorities, and Iranian news agencies have reported that he is \u201csteadfast and firm in commanding the field\u201d.<\/p>\n

Iran has responded to the attack by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries which host US military bases: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.<\/p>\n

What is happening in Iran?<\/h2>\n

Shortly after 09:30 local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, Iranian media reported explosions in the capital, Tehran. Pictures showed smoke over the city\u2019s Jomhouri Square and Hassan Abad Square.<\/p>\n

Explosions were also reportedly heard in several other cities across the country, including Karaj, near Tehran, Isfahan and Qom in the centre of the country, and Kermanshah in the west.<\/p>\n

Videos circulating on social media showed people running in panic near sites of explosions. The sound of screams and crying could be heard in the background.<\/p>\n

Footage from Tehran verified by the BBC showed explosions within 1km (0.6 miles) of Leadership House, the compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate power in Iran.<\/p>\n

Satellite imagery obtained by the BBC also showed signs of significant damage in the compound, including blackened buildings, debris and a column of smoke.<\/p>\n

It was not immediately clear whether Khamenei was there at the time of the strikes.<\/p>\n

When asked about the supreme leader\u2019s health on Saturday afternoon, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told the BBC he was \u201cnot in a situation to confirm anything\u201d.<\/p>\n

But on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that \u201cwe destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei in the heart of Tehran\u201d. \u201cThere are many signs that the tyrant himself is no more,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Trump then wrote on Truth Social: \u201cKhamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

The office of President Masoud Pezeshkian in the capital was also reportedly targeted in the first wave of strikes. Iranian state TV said President Masoud Pezeshkian was \u201csafe\u201d and he later put out a statement.<\/p>\n

Despite a near-total internet blackout that monitors detected late on Saturday morning, several further waves of strikes and explosions were reported throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s state news agency, Irna, said there were explosions in Tehran, Karaq and Qom, as well as the western provinces of Lorestan, Hamadan, Kermanshah and Ilam; Tabriz in the north west; and parts of the southern Gulf province of Hormozgan, including Qeshm Island.<\/p>\n

There were also reports of blasts in the western city of Dezful; the outskirts of Shiraz and Kerman in the south; Kordestan and West Azerbaijan in the north-west; the central province of Markazi; Qazvin and Zanjan in the north, and Sistan Baluchestan in the south-east.<\/p>\n

On Saturday evening, a spokesman for the Iranian Red Crescent told local media 24 of Iran\u2019s 31 provinces had been hit in US and Israeli strikes.<\/p>\n

He also said a total of 201 people had been killed and 747 others injured across the country as of 20:45 (17:15 GMT), without providing a regional breakdown.<\/p>\n

State media said at least 85 people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a primary school for girls in Minab, Hormozgan province. The BBC has not been able to verify the reports.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Civil Aviation Organisation has said the country\u2019s airspace is closed until further notice.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

What have the US and Israel said?<\/h2>\n

The first statement on Saturday morning came from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who said his country had \u201claunched a pre-emptive strike against Iran to remove threats\u201d and warned Israelis to prepare for retaliatory missile and drone attacks.<\/p>\n

Just over an hour later, Trump posted a video on Truth Social confirming US involvement in the strikes and saying the objective was \u201cto defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated. We\u2019re going to annihilate their navy. We\u2019re going to ensure that the region\u2019s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack our forces,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

It came after weeks of threats from Trump that he would order military action if Iran did not agree a new deal over its nuclear programme.<\/p>\n

Iran has said repeatedly that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and that it does not seek to obtain nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

Trump also told members of Iran\u2019s armed forces could either lay down their weapons and be given \u201ccomplete immunity\u201d, or \u201cface certain death\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also urged Iranian civilians to stay in their homes and prepare to overthrow the clerical establishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the US had \u201coperation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n

Thanking Trump, he reiterated his message that Iran \u201cmust not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity\u201d.<\/p>\n

And he similarly said the strikes would \u201ccreate the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time has come for all segments of the people in Iran\u2026 to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-seeking Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

The US military\u2019s Central Command said in a statement on Saturday evening that US and Israeli forces had begun striking targets to \u201cdismantle the Iranian regime\u2019s security apparatus, prioritising locations that posed an imminent threat\u201d. They reportedly included Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) command-and-control facilities, air defence capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.<\/p>\n

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) meanwhile announced that about 200 fighter jets had taken part in what it called an \u201cextensive attack against the missile array and the defence systems\u201d in western and central Iran.<\/p>\n

The jets simultaneously dropped hundreds of munitions on about 500 targets, including aerial defence systems and missile launchers, and severely degraded Iran\u2019s offensive capabilities, it added.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu said the strikes \u201cneutralized senior officials in the regime of the ayatollahs, commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, and top figures in the nuclear programme\u201d.<\/p>\n

The IDF named seven senior members of Iran\u2019s defence establishment who it said had been killed, including Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran\u2019s Defence Council and a trusted adviser to Khamenei, as well as IRGC commander Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour and Defence Minister Brig Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh.<\/p>\n

The IDF\u2019s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said the Israeli and US political and military leadership had undertaken a \u201cdeep and comprehensive joint operational planning process\u201d for Saturday\u2019s attacks since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last June, during which the US carried out strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n

How has Iran responded?<\/h2>\n

Iran\u2019s foreign minister accused Israel and the US of launching a war that was \u201cwholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur powerful armed forces are prepared for this day and will teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve,\u201d Araghchi wrote on X.<\/p>\n

The Iranian defence ministry also vowed to deliver a \u201ccrushing and regret-inducing\u201d response to what it called the \u201csavage attack\u201d by Israel and the US.<\/p>\n

The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as saying its forces had responded to the strikes by striking multiple sites in Israel as well as five major US military facilities in the region \u2013 Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates, the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, and Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan.<\/p>\n

The IRGC also said a US combat support vessel had come under \u201csevere blows\u201d from missiles, and that a US FP-132 radar system in Qatar had been \u201ccompletely destroyed\u201d, according to the report.<\/p>\n

The European Union\u2019s naval mission in the region, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, meanwhile said that the IRGC had sent radio messages to vessels warning that \u201cno ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz\u201d in the Gulf, through which about 20% of global oil and gas shipments pass.<\/p>\n

US Central Command said that its forces had \u201csuccessfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks\u201d on Saturday.<\/p>\n

It added that no US casualties or combat-related injuries had been reported and that damage to US installations in the region was \u201cminimal and has not impacted operations\u201d.<\/p>\n

In Israel, Israeli media reported that Iran launched about 150 ballistic missiles towards Israel, mostly in small salvos, as well as dozens of attack drones.<\/p>\n

Air defence systems intercepted a number of the missiles, while others struck open areas, they added.<\/p>\n

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated a teenager for shrapnel-related injuries in central Israel, and that a man was injured by a blast shockwave in the north. A second person in the north was injured after falling from a height in the wake of a missile impact, it added.<\/p>\n

The UAE\u2019s defence ministry said its air defence systems dealt with a \u201cblatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles\u201d and intercepted a number of them.<\/p>\n

However, a Pakistani civilian was killed by falling debris in the city of Abu Dhabi, local authorities said. Another four people were injured at the landmark Palm development in Dubai.<\/p>\n

A concourse at Dubai International airport, the world\u2019s busiest for international traffic, was damaged and four staff were injured in an \u201cincident\u201d on Saturday evening, Dubai Airports said in a statement, adding that most of the terminals had previously been cleared of passengers.<\/p>\n

Kuwait\u2019s defence ministry said three Kuwaiti soldiers were injured by shrapnel when Ali Al Salem airbase, which houses US personnel, was targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.<\/p>\n

A drone also struck Kuwait\u2019s international airport, causing minor injuries and some material damage.<\/p>\n

Bahrain\u2019s interior ministry said three residential buildings in Manama and Muharraq were damaged by drone attacks and falling debris from an intercepted missile.<\/p>\n

The Bahraini government also reported that the service centre of the US Navy\u2019s Fifth Fleet was subjected to a missile attack.<\/p>\n

Qatar said its armed forces had intercepted several waves of missiles launched towards the country. A number of explosions were heard in the capital, Doha.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Is it safe to travel to the region?<\/h2>\n

Major airlines have diverted or cancelled flights to the Middle East, citing safety, and have apologised to customers.<\/p>\n

Wizz Air has suspended flights until 7 March in Israel, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Amman in Jordan, and in Saudi Arabia until Tuesday.<\/p>\n

British Airways has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday, while Saturday\u2019s service to Amman is grounded.<\/p>\n

Kuwait\u2019s aviation authority said it was halting all flights to Iran until further notice, according to state media.<\/p>\n

Emirates has temporarily suspended its operations to and from Dubai. Lufthansa, Air India, Virgin Atlantic and Turkish Airlines have also announced cancellations.<\/p>\n

Some countries in the region \u2013 including Iraq and Jordan \u2013 have also closed their airspace. The UAE said it has \u201cpartially and temporarily\u201d closed its airspace as a precaution, state media reported.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office travel guidance for Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Oman, is now advising travellers to \u201cremain vigilant, follow local authority advice and take shelter if advised\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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President Donald Trump has said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead, hours after the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on the country.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2047,1910,2359,4723,117,10,9,2286,2044],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hp-news-9","category-international","category-iran","category-israel","category-news","category-politics","category-popular","category-trump","category-us"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=117372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=117372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}