Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been found dead, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Saturday, as hostilities escalated across the Middle East following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
There was no immediate confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding Khamenei’s death.
Khamenei, 86, had ruled Iran since 1989 and held ultimate authority over the country’s government, armed forces and judiciary. His reported death comes amid a rapidly expanding regional confrontation that has included retaliatory Iranian strikes and attacks reported in Israel and Gulf states.
A senior U.S. administration official said Washington had intelligence indicators that Iran was preparing to launch preemptive attacks against American forces in the region, prompting action.
President Donald Trump said the military operation could create an opportunity for Iranians to challenge their leadership, though analysts cautioned that leadership transitions in Iran are complex and tightly controlled by political and religious institutions.
Iranian state media reported explosions in multiple locations, while residents described panic and traffic congestion as some people attempted to flee major cities. Regional security concerns intensified after reports of Iranian drone and missile activity targeting sites across the Middle East.
Khamenei had faced mounting pressures in recent years, including economic strain from sanctions, domestic unrest and setbacks to Iran’s regional influence following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent conflicts involving Iranian-backed groups.
He had also reportedly gone into hiding in 2025 after strikes killed several senior Revolutionary Guard commanders and damaged key nuclear and missile facilities.
As Supreme Leader, Khamenei was the final arbiter on Iran’s military, foreign policy and nuclear program. Any confirmation of his death would trigger a succession process overseen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a clerical body responsible for selecting the next supreme leader.
