OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
12:40 PM – Saturday, February 28, 2026
High-ranking Israeli officials have reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike carried out as part of a joint military operation with the United States dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
Multiple officials familiar with the overnight strikes told sources such as The Independent and Axios on Saturday that the strikes on Tehran killed the Iranian leader.
The 86-year-old, reportedly deceased, supreme leader has ruled Iran for 35 years, making him one of the longest-serving authoritarian leaders in the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are “growing signs” that Khamenei is “gone.”
However, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told ABC that he was “safe and sound.”
President Donald Trump urged Iranians, who had protested their government in all 31 provinces since the end of last year, to “take over [their] government” and “seize control of [their] destiny” once the bombing ends, though officials have warned that the military conflict could continue through the weekend.
Some in Tehran have begun celebrating Khamenei’s death, according to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), despite conflicting reports about his state.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
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