Senior Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have claimed there are many signs that Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was killed during joint United States–Israel military strikes on Iran, saying his heavily fortified compound in Iran was destroyed and that senior figures were eliminated in the offensive.
Israeli sources have suggested that around 30 bombs were dropped on Khamenei’s compound and that “many indications” point to his death including reports that his body was found and confirmed by some Israeli officials.
However, Iranian authorities including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have denied the reports, stating that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive and safe. Independent verification of his death has not yet been confirmed by neutral sources.
The situation remains highly fluid, and the true status of Iran’s supreme leader is debated internationally, with conflicting claims emerging amid a wider military escalation in the Middle East.