Iranian authorities confirmed overnight on March 1, 2026 the death of Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Earlier, the United States and Israel said the ayatollah had been killed in a missile strike on his residence. Khamenei had ruled since 1989, for nearly 37 years.
According to The New York Times, citing informed sources, the CIA tracked Khamenei’s movements for several months. Intelligence learned that on the morning of February 28 senior Iranian officials were to meet in central Tehran with Khamenei expected to attend, after which the US and Israel coordinated the timing of the attack. The paper says Israeli aircraft took off at about 6 a.m., and two hours later long-range precision missiles struck the building complex.
Iran’s state agency IRNA also confirmed the deaths of Admiral Ali Shamkhani and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour. The Washington Post reported that Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and other officials watched the operation from the White House Situation Room, while President Donald Trump followed events from Mar-a-Lago.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil men in history, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling it justice for Iran and for the victims of his policies.
After Khamenei’s death, Iran formed a temporary governing council. According to AP and the BBC, the Assembly of Experts must move quickly to choose a new supreme leader. Alireza Arafi was named acting leader; media reports list Mojtaba Khamenei, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, Hassan Khomeini, and Hashem Hosseini Bushehri among possible successors.
Iran declared 40 days of mourning, with the first seven days designated as non-working days. Reuters and the NYT reported that alongside official mourning, some people in Tehran, Karaj, and Isfahan went into the streets to celebrate the ayatollah’s death. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.