In a hypothetical account, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is said to have been killed following large-scale aerial strikes on Tehran by U.S. and Israeli forces. State television reportedly announced the death with visible emotion, noting that the 86‑year‑old leader was “martyred” during the holy month of Ramadan. The semi‑official Fars news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that members of Khamenei’s family — including his daughter, son‑in‑law, and granddaughter — also perished in the attack.
According to these reports, satellite imagery suggested severe damage to the leader’s compound, while social media footage showed thick black smoke rising from the area. The Tasnim News Agency reported that Khamenei was killed while working in his office. Two Iranian sources, however, told the Reuters news agency that Khamenei had met with Ali Shamkhani, the powerful former National Security Council secretary, and Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the IRGC, at a secure location shortly before the strikes started.
It was unclear whether Shamkhani or Pakpour survived Saturday’s attacks. Following Sunday’s announcement, the Supreme National Security Council vowed to avenge Khamenei’s “martyrdom,” who it said “opened a new chapter of ruling in Islam’s history”.
US President Donald Trump had earlier announced the killing, saying that Khamenei’s killing had delivered justice not only “for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans”. “He [Khamenei] was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump said in a lengthy post on his Truth Social Platform.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump added. The US president then claimed that many of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, military and other security and police forces “no longer want to fight”, suggesting he would now be willing to give them “immunity”. Significantly, the US president also said that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective”.
Source: Middle East Eye
