Iran supreme leader Khamenei targeted, IRGC commander and defence chief 'killed'

The joint Israeli-US strikes on Iran on Saturday targeted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian in the first wave of attacks, Israel's public broadcaster reported, with questions over their fate.

"Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the targets of the attack," Kan reported on its X account, citing an Israeli source.

A journalist on air also mentioned Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the supreme leader and former defence minister, while noting that he did not know whether the objectives of the strikes had been achieved.

"In our opening salvo, we went after targets that are high-profile, people involved in the plans to destroy Israel," an Israeli security source told journalists, speaking on condition of anonymity.

An official had told Reuters that Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location.

Later, Israel's Channel 12 said that sources believe the Supreme Leader could have been killed in the strikes.

Reuters reported on Saturday afternoon, citing informed sources, that IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour and Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh were killed by the US-Israeli airstrikes.

Tehran lost senior military and politcal figures in last year's Israeli and US strikes on Iran, including commander-in-chief of the IRGC Hossein Salami.

Both Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have called for regime change in Tehran when the strikes were announced, with suspicions both countries will try to decapitate the country's leadership to encourage a coup or uprising in Iran.