Assassination of Ali Khamenei

On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confirmed by the Iranian government on 1 March. His death occurred on the first day of the 2026 Iran war, as part of a wider joint operation by Israel and the United States using strategic locations intelligence from the US's Central Intelligence Agency to determine the whereabouts of several leaders. Satellite imagery suggested that Khamenei's residence in the city was severely damaged during the attack.

Following initial Israeli reports that Khamenei had been killed in the operation, US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Khamenei was dead. After Iranian state media confirmed his death, the government announced 40 days of mourning and seven days of public holiday. The Fars News Agency announced that Khamenei's daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law had also been killed in the strikes. Despite an initial announcement that Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, had died from her injuries on 2 March, Fars reported on 12 March that she was still alive.

Reactions to Khamenei's death in Iran were mixed. While many civilians went out to celebrate in the streets, thousands of others gathered in mourning. Protests against the 2026 Iran war occurred in multiple countries. Iranian diaspora members around the world participated in joyful gatherings.

A previous plan to assassinate Khamenei by Israel during the Twelve-Day War on 15 June 2025 was vetoed by Trump, according to unnamed US officials.