Top Military Officials Also Killed; Iran Vows Retaliation
A coordinated military strike by the United States and Israel has resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with the country’s armed forces chief of staff and defense minister, Iranian state media confirmed Sunday. The attack, which Iranian sources say killed at least 201 people, marks a dramatic escalation in regional tensions and has prompted vows of severe retaliation from Tehran.
CIA Intelligence Reportedly Guided Precision Strikes
According to a report by The New York Times citing sources familiar with the operation, U.S. intelligence from the CIA was pivotal in the attack. The agency had tracked Khamenei for months and provided Israel with information that the Supreme Leader would be attending a meeting of top officials at a leadership compound in Tehran on Saturday morning. Strikes were adjusted from a nighttime plan to target the compound around 9:40 a.m. local time.
In addition to Khamenei, the attack claimed the lives of senior Iranian security figures, including Revolutionary Guards chief General Mohammad Pakpour and top security adviser Ali Shamkhani.
International Condemnation and Iranian Response
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing as a “cynical murder” that violated international law, expressing condolences in a statement released by the Kremlin. Within Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that avenging Khamenei’s death was a “legitimate duty and right” for the Islamic Republic.
The Palestinian group Hamas mourned Khamenei, calling the attack “heinous” and blaming the U.S. and Israel for the repercussions on regional stability.
Leadership Transition and Regional Fallout
An official Iranian transition process is set to begin, with state media reporting the appointment of Ayatollah Arafi as the jurist member of a leadership council tasked with temporarily fulfilling the Supreme Leader’s role. The crisis has prompted other regional actors to activate emergency protocols, with reports of smoke rising from Dubai’s Jebel Ali port following what was described as an Iranian attack.
The incident follows a warning from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated America would “hit them with a force never seen before” if provoked, underscoring the volatile climate that preceded the strikes.
