Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed there are “many signs” that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, may no longer be alive following coordinated missile strikes by Israel and the United States.
The strikes, launched on Saturday, targeted key Iranian sites in Tehran. Israeli officials described the operation as “pre-emptive”, saying it was aimed at neutralising imminent threats.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said the military action was designed to “remove threats against the State of Israel”. Iranian state-linked locations, including areas near Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, were reportedly hit.
The Israeli government claimed several senior Iranian officials were eliminated during the strikes, although specific names were not immediately disclosed.
In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at US assets across the Middle East. Reports indicate Iranian projectiles struck targets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
“All indications show this tyrant is no longer with us,” Netanyahu said, suggesting Khamenei may have been killed in the operation.
However, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, swiftly rejected the claim, insisting the supreme leader was “safe and sound”.
Araghchi also dismissed suggestions of regime change, calling it a “mission impossible”.
Despite the denials from Tehran, Israeli media outlets reported that Khamenei’s body had been recovered, further fuelling speculation and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
