What we know about the US-Israeli killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, was killed on 28 February 2026 in a coordinated US-Israeli strike targeting Iran's senior leadership.

Tehran's state media confirmed his death hours later and declared a 40-day national mourning period, amid waves of strikes on Iran by Israel and the US.

The killing marks the most consequential decapitation strike against the Islamic Republic since its founding in 1979 and has triggered immediate retaliation and a formal constitutional transition inside Iran.

What happened?

The strike took place during the opening phase of a broader US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian military and strategic sites. Within hours of the initial wave, Israeli and US officials publicly stated that Khamenei had been killed.

After hours of denials, Iranian authorities later confirmed his death on state television.

The Supreme National Security Council formally acknowledged the assassination and announced 40 days of national mourning. Senior officials condemned the attack as an act of aggression and vowed a response.

Iranian outlets framed the killing as part of a coordinated assault aimed at the country’s leadership structure. Several senior military and security figures were also reported killed in the wider strikes.

How was he killed?

According to US and Israeli officials, Khamenei was killed in a precision strike on a senior leadership site in Tehran.

The operation has been described as a targeted decapitation strike designed to eliminate top command figures at the outset of the campaign.

The attack appears to have involved air-launched munitions or long-range precision missiles. US and Israeli officials said coordinated intelligence efforts played a central role, with surveillance and targeting information used to identify the location of senior figures.

The strike formed part of a broader wave of attacks against Iranian military infrastructure, command centres and strategic facilities. Iranian officials have not publicly detailed the exact weapon used, but state media confirmed he was killed during the initial phase of the assault.

Where was he killed?

Iranian state media said Khamenei was targeted at his office and residential compound in Tehran. The site served as both a symbolic and operational centre of power for the Supreme Leader.

The compound was understood to be heavily guarded and integrated into Iran’s security infrastructure, though many are shocked that Khamenei was placed in somewhere so accessible by US-Israeli weapons technology.

How has Iran reacted?

Official reaction by Tehran was delayed, but forceful when his death was finally confirmed.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council condemned what it called a "brutal air operation" and said Khamenei had been targeted while "the enemy imagines that the resilient Iranian nation will surrender to their petty demands through these cowardly actions".

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed a severe response, declaring that the killing would not go unanswered and promising what it described as the "most ferocious offensive operation in history".

Senior political figures echoed that rhetoric. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf said: "You have stepped on our red lines. We will strike you with such horrendous blows that you will beg for mercy."

On Sunday, Iran began carrying out more retaliatory strikes on US bases and Gulf countries.

Iranian forces launched missiles and drones at Israeli territory and at United States military bases across the region. Sirens sounded in central Israel, while explosions were reported near several US-linked facilities in the Gulf. 

It also moved to block the Strait of Hormuz, rattling global oil and trade markets.

Iranian statements described US bases as "legitimate targets" following the killing of the supreme leader and warned that all assets supporting the strikes would be subject to attack.

Inside Iran, state television broadcast large mourning gatherings, with crowds chanting in support of the government.

At the same time, videos circulating online and independent reports indicated that in some urban areas, particularly among regime critics, small groups gathered in apparent celebration of Khamenei’s death, reflecting deep political polarisation. The New Arab cannot verify these reports.

Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, announced that a provisional leadership council would be formed in accordance with constitutional provisions governing the absence of leadership.

Who replaces him?

Under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution, when the office of the Supreme Leader becomes vacant, a temporary body assumes leadership duties until a successor is chosen. That mechanism has now been activated.

On Sunday, Alireza Arafi was appointed as the jurist member of Iran’s provisional Leadership Council, according to Iranian media reports.

Arafi, a cleric and member of the Guardian Council, will serve alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on the three-person body tasked with fulfilling the Supreme Leader’s constitutional functions during the transition.

The council is designed to exercise the core powers of the office, including oversight of the armed forces and key state institutions, until the Assembly of Experts elects a new Supreme Leader.

The Assembly of Experts, an elected clerical body, is constitutionally responsible for appointing the next leader. The timeline for selection is not fixed, but the process can move quickly if consensus emerges among senior clerics and political factions.

Analysts have previously suggested that any successor is likely to come from the conservative establishment, with the IRGC expected to exert significant influence behind the scenes. No official candidate has yet been announced.

For now, Iran has entered a formal transition phase, with the provisional Leadership Council exercising authority while the clerical establishment deliberates over the country’s next Supreme Leader.