TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s armed forces chief, and several senior military commanders were killed in large-scale US–Israeli strikes, Iranian state media confirmed on Sunday, marking one of the most dramatic escalations in the Islamic Republic’s history.
State television announced that Khamenei, 86, was killed at his Tehran compound, while the judiciary’s Mizan news portal reported that Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, senior security official Ali Shamkhani, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh were also killed during what it described as a Defence Council meeting targeted in Saturday’s attacks.
The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that members of Khamenei’s family — including his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter — were killed in the strikes, with additional casualties reported in separate attacks.
The announcement came as US President Donald Trump vowed that American military operations would continue with heavy bombing throughout the week, raising fears of a wider conflict across the Middle East.
An anchor on Iranian state TV on Sunday confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following US and Israeli strikes.
Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s highest authority in 1989 following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini.
As Supreme Leader, he held ultimate control over Iran’s armed forces, judiciary, state broadcasting, and key political decisions, making him the most powerful figure in the country for more than three decades.
A presenter on state television announced Khamenei’s death at 5:00 am (0130 GMT), as the channel broadcast archive images with a black banner as a sign of mourning.
Iran has announced 40 days of public mourning after it was confirmed that the Supreme Leader was killed in Israeli-US strikes, Reuters quoted Iranian state media as saying.
🎥 لحظهٔ اعلام شهادت رهبر معظم انقلاب در تلویزیون https://t.co/Jmu6dbo79j pic.twitter.com/5qNJPDDrNb
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) March 1, 2026
Iranian state media reported that Khamenei “was carrying out his assigned duties and was present at his workplace (his office).”
“This cowardly attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning,” state media said.
“We have lost a great leader, and we are mourning him — a leader who was unique in terms of purity of spirit, strength of faith, resourcefulness in affairs, courage in the face of the arrogant, and jihad in the path of God,” a statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said, according to Reuters.
Revenge, revenge, revenge. The malicious and terrorist actions of the United States and the Zionist regime are a blatant violation of religious, moral, legal, and international principles. Therefore, the avenging hand of the Iranian nation will not stop until the killers of the… pic.twitter.com/cYpsrmx8Xr
— Iran Times (@IranTimes9) March 1, 2026
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have vowed “severe punishment” for the “murderers” of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed in US–Israel attacks yesterday, AFP reported.
Earlier, Fars News Agency reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the leader’s office, that the daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed following joint Israeli-US strikes.
The semi-official agency said the deaths were confirmed after contact was established with informed sources within the supreme leader’s residence.
Fars also reported that one of Khamenei’s daughters-in-law was killed in a separate attack on Saturday morning.
Hours later, Iran’s judiciary confirmed that US and Israeli strikes killed the chief of the Revolutionary Guards and another top security advisor.
The Guards’ commander, General Mohammad Pakpour, and Ali Shamkhani, the head of the national defence council, were “martyred” in Saturday’s attacks, the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan online news portal reported.
According to AFP, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was also killed along with other senior generals in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported on Sunday.
State TV listed the names of Mousavi, along with defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, and head of the defence council Ali Shamkhani as among those killed during Saturday’s strikes.
It said they were killed “during a Defence Council meeting”, adding that other names will be announced later.
Pakistan President, PM condole with Iranian people
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday extended condolences to the government and people of Iran over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Zardari, in a statement, said he was profoundly grieved over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and other members of Iran’s senior leadership who were killed alongside him.
He stated that Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss.
He prayed for the departed souls and asked Almighty Allah to grant patience and fortitude to the people of Iran during this difficult time.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei and senior Iranian leaders, conveying heartfelt condolences and prayers for patience and strength to the Government and people of Iran during this period of grief.
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 1, 2026
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended condolences to Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
In a post on X, PM Sharif said: “The Government and the people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.”
He also expressed concern over violations of international norms.
“It is an age-old convention that the Heads of State/Government should not be targeted,” PM Sharif wrote. “We pray for the departed soul. May Allah Almighty grant patience and strength to the Iranian people to bear this irreparable loss.”
The Government and the people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei.Pakistan also expresses concern over violation of the norms of…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 1, 2026
