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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei CONFIRMED DEAD
On Saturday, 28 February 2026, US and Israeli forces launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple high‑value Iranian targets, including locations in and around Tehran. Early statements from Israeli officials and US President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in the operation, with Trump later posting on Truth Social that Khamenei had “faced justice.” Iranian state media did not immediately respond, only confirming that both Khamenei and the president were “safe and sound,” even as no visual or recorded proof of their condition emerged.
IRAN CONFIRMS Khamenei’s DEATH at 01 March 2026
Iranian state news agency IRNA and national television officially announced the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early on Sunday, 1 March 2026, several hours after Trump’s public declaration. The announcement described the strikes that hit a complex in Tehran as part of a “sustained, multi‑wave US–Israeli operation” and confirmed that the 86‑year‑old Supreme Leader perished along with several senior security officials during the initial assault. The Revolutionary Guard also reported that the leadership‑tier officials killed alongside Khamenei included General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Guard, and Ali Shamkhani, head of Iran’s national defense council.
The confirmation triggered a 40‑day national mourning period and an immediate security‑committee meeting under interim arrangements. State‑run broadcasts indicated that Ebrahim Raisi, along with a council of clerical and military figures, would oversee the transition during the mourning phase, while the IRGC vowed to execute “the most ferocious operation in the history of Iran’s armed forces” against US and Israeli targets.
Fresh Iranian RESPONDS within SIX HOURS
Within six hours of the official confirmation, Iran launched its largest retaliatory wave. IRGC Telegram and state media reported that over 500 missiles and drones were fired at 27 US‑linked bases across the Middle East along with multiple Israeli military installations. Targets spanned six countries, including bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Jordan, as well as Israeli facilities in and near Tel Aviv.
Among the immediate impacts:
- In Israel, a missile strike on a residential‑adjacent area in Tel Aviv caused at least one fatality and over 20 injuries, with partial collapse of one building and a fire that engulfed multiple floors.
- In Dubai, an attack triggered a fire at the Burj Al Arab and the Fairmont Hotel after a missile‑drone cluster hit the coastal zone, while Dubai International Airport reported several injuries and short‑term suspension of flights.
- At Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, at least one person died and seven were injured after an Iranian projectile impacted the perimeter of the airbase‑adjacent facilities.
- A US base in Bahrain sustained facility damage, though the US military claimed it intercepted most incoming projectiles; nonetheless, the combined toll from all Iranian strikes placed the casualty count in the dozens, with scores of wounded.
Timeline of Key Events (Exact Dates & Times Where Known)
- 28 February 2026, Saturday, 05:20 local time (Tehran): Israeli and US aircraft hit multiple command and communications hubs near Tehran; loud explosions heard across the capital and other major cities.
- 28 February 2026, mid‑morning, Washington time: Trump posted on Truth Social confirming Khamenei’s death, referring to him as “one of the most evil people in history.”
- 28 February 2026, late evening (Tehran): IRGC and Iranian officials publicly stated that Khamenei’s body had been recovered from the ruins of his office complex; no footage shown, but senior clerics began convening.
- 1 March 2026, 02:15 Tehran time: State media officially declared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially dead, citing an “assassination during foreign aggression,” and outlined the transitional‑rule blueprint.
- 1 March 2026, 08:00 Tehran time (within six hours of announcement): IRGC launched the first wave of Iranian counter‑strikes, targeting US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE plus Israeli sites in Tel Aviv.
- 1 March 2026, 10:30 onwards: Follow‑up waves of Iranian missiles and drones hit second‑tier US facilities and Israeli radar and logistics centers, lighting up night skies over the Persian Gulf and eastern Mediterranean.
Human Cost and International Reaction
Iran’s Red Crescent Society reported that at least 200 civilians were killed and over 700 injured in the initial US–Israeli strikes on 28 February, with damage recorded at schools, child‑care centers, and residential neighborhoods in at least 24 provinces. Separate incident‑tracking groups noted a strike on a primary school in Minab, in southeast Iran, that killed about 100 people, including many children.
Major world powers issued statements calling for de‑escalation. The China Foreign Ministry urged an immediate ceasefire and respect for Iran’s sovereignty, while the United Kingdom, France, and Germany jointly condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks on civilian‑adjacent facilities in the Gulf but stopped short of fully endorsing the US–Israeli offensive.
For the moment, the region remains in maximum‑alert mode, with oil markets reacting sharply and dozens of commercial flights rerouted away from the Persian Gulf and eastern Mediterranean. World map‑corners everywhere are watching closely to see whether Iran’s vengeance push leads to mere containment—or a full‑fledged regional war spiral.