A coordinated military operation between American and Israeli forces resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a Saturday meeting with his top advisors, according to multiple U.S. intelligence sources.
The timing of the joint attack was deliberately planned to target Khamenei while he convened with senior officials, including former National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, both of whom also perished in the strikes.
Iranian sources confirmed to Reuters that Khamenei had gathered with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a protected facility just before the military operation commenced.
A high-ranking Israeli official confirmed that Khamenei’s remains have been recovered following the attack.
President Donald Trump announced the Iranian leader’s death through his Truth Social account, crediting intelligence operations for tracking his whereabouts.
“He 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 stated.
The joint American-Israeli military campaign across Iranian territory has escalated Middle Eastern tensions to unprecedented levels, prompting Iran to launch counterattacks against Israeli targets and neighboring Gulf nations.
Intelligence sources, speaking anonymously, revealed that confirmation of Khamenei’s leadership meeting triggered the immediate launch of the combined air and naval assault.
A U.S. official explained that eliminating Khamenei first was crucial to prevent him from escaping and maintaining operational surprise during the mission.
Originally scheduled for Saturday evening in Tehran, Israeli intelligence discovered the meeting had been moved to Saturday morning, prompting commanders to accelerate their timeline, sources indicated.
While the exact meeting location remains undisclosed, Khamenei’s heavily fortified Tehran compound was among the first targets destroyed, with satellite images confirming the facility’s complete destruction.
The long-term consequences of Khamenei’s elimination remain uncertain, though CIA analysts previously assessed that hardline Revolutionary Guard leaders would likely assume power, according to sources with access to the intelligence briefings.
