Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Saturday morning, according to a FOX News Digital report citing an Israeli official.
FOX News Digital stated the information was confirmed by Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director of the Iran program at FDD. Earlier, some of the initial strikes appeared to target the area near the Supreme Leader's office in Tehran. Iranian media reported that airstrikes took place nationwide.
It was initially unclear whether Khamenei, 86, was at the office at the time of the attack. News of his death was announced several hours later.
Khamenei has been in power since 1989 and held supreme authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran's system following the 1979 revolution. He had not announced a direct successor, fueling domestic political instability.
According to official regulations, a council of Shiite Muslim clerics is responsible for choosing the Supreme Leader's successor, amid Israel's view of this as a strike against a regime that threatens regional survival.
