Multiple members of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's family, including his daughter and grandchild were killed in military strikes carried out jointly by the United States and Israel, Iranian state media reported. The 86-year-old ruler's daughter-in-law and son-in-law were also killed in the joint military operation dubbed "Operation Epic Fury."
The deaths of the family members were reported by Iranian state media in the early hours of Sunday, after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hit Iran around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday. Ali Khamenei was killed in the missile attack, bringing an end to his nearly 37-year rule over the Islamic Republic. The tyrant's body was reportedly recovered in some rubble.
Almost Everyone Wiped Out
Tt was not confirmed where Khamenei died but a photo of his body was shown to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior Israeli official revealed. Donald Trump confirmed earlier on Saturday that Khamenei had been killed in the strikes, saying his death amounted to "justice."
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."
Hours later, Iranian state media confirmed that Ali Khamenei had died, saying he was "martyred." Reports said he was killed at his Tehran compound when the first strikes began, with Airbus satellite images showing severe destruction in the area.
"The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran has been martyred," Tasnim News shared on X.
"We hereby inform the devoted, martyr-loving people of Iran that His Eminence Ayatollah al-Uzma Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, was martyred in a joint attack by the criminal America and the Zionist regime on the morning of Monday, the ninth of Esfand."
Mayhem in Iran
Israeli officials said the opening strikes earlier today killed more than 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures, with up to 10 top leaders dying in the first attack on Ali Khamenei's heavily fortified compound.
Shocking videos and photos circulating online show the moment the hotel, located on Palm Jumeirah, was hit, with flames tearing through the front of the building after it was struck by a high-speed drone.
The attack came as Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East following a joint United States–Israel assault on Tehran earlier in the day.
The nuclear deal now hangs in the balance. "It's a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon," Trump vowed in a video message posted on Truth Social just before 3 a.m.
He issued a blunt warning to Tehran, telling Iran's armed forces to "lay down your arms or face certain death" if they didn't stop resisting.
That message was part of a wider statement as the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes deep inside Iran, aiming to knock out its missile and military capabilities after diplomatic efforts collapsed.
Iran quickly responded with its own wave of attacks across the region. Missile and drone launches were reported toward Israel and other nearby countries, and at least one strike was aimed at the United States Fifth Fleet base in Manama, where the US Navy's supply and command infrastructure is located.
Top US and Israeli officials have said they expect the military campaign to continue for days or even weeks, warning that dismantling Iran's offensive capabilities won't be quick and that the situation across the Middle East remains volatile.
