Trump and Israel confirm Khamenei was killed

The rumor had started circulating shortly after the beginning of the American-Israeli raids launched early on Saturday morning, February 28, against Iran. The most violent attack had occurred in Tehran, more specifically against the vast residence of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Ali Khamenei, which had been targeted by 30 large-caliber bombs.

The raid had completely destroyed the residential center. Iranian authorities had then rushed to indicate that Imam Khamenei had been transferred to a “highly secured location.” Around noon, one of the Israeli television channels indicated that “all contact with Khamenei had been lost for several hours.” Later, in the early afternoon, the television channel indicated that it was “very unlikely, if not almost impossible, that the Supreme Leader emerged unharmed from the airstrike.” Two hours later, the same source stressed that evidence of Khamenei’s death was becoming increasingly numerous.

Rumors claiming that Imam Khamenei had been killed in Saturday morning's raid grew until late in the evening when President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly announced that the Iranian Supreme Leader had indeed been killed. The news of his death sparked popular demonstrations of joy in several neighborhoods of Tehran late in the evening.

Shortly before midnight, an authorized Iranian source, however, categorically denied the news, going so far as to claim that Imam Khamenei would address the Iranians shortly. It should be noted in this context that an identical scenario in all respects, maintaining ambiguity and spreading information that turned out to be completely false, had been put in place after the death of Hassan Nasrallah and the former Iranian president.

A few hours after the start, on Saturday morning, February 28, of the air attacks launched by the American and Israeli air forces and navy against Iran, the greatest uncertainty reigned on Saturday afternoon regarding the fate of several high-ranking leaders of the mullahs' regime, including especially the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei.

At the beginning of the raids, an Israeli source had indicated that a series of assassinations had been launched against high-ranking officials. In the early afternoon, one of the Israeli television channels indicated that “contact with Khamenei had been interrupted for several hours.” The same channel specified a little later that “the probability that Khamenei emerged unharmed” from the raid that destroyed his residence in Tehran “is very low, if not zero.” In the mid-afternoon, the same source stressed that it was increasingly likely that Khamenei had been killed.

Reports of Khamenei's death were, however, denied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi, who stated that, to “his knowledge,” the Supreme Leader is alive. In the mid-afternoon, Reuters reported that the Iranian Defense Minister, the commander of the Pasdaran, and the head of Military Intelligence had been killed. Simultaneously, Iranian missiles intermittently struck Dubai (until evening), Qatar, Riyadh, as well as Kuwait, where a drone targeted the international airport.

In the early evening, the Israeli army indicated that its air force was conducting intensive raids “against hundreds of Iranian military positions.” Earlier, in the morning, command centers of the Revolutionary Guards, Military Intelligence, as well as certain ministries in Tehran were the targets of the airstrikes.

These bombardments targeting the Iranian power infrastructure would constitute, according to an authorized Israeli source, “a first phase that will extend over four days,” which would indicate that the American-Israeli offensive is expected to take on a large scale in the coming days.