PALM BEACH, United States — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader since 1989 and sworn enemy of the West, was killed Saturday in the opening salvo of a massive US and Israeli attack, President Donald Trump said, as he urged the overthrow of the Islamic republic. The attack came weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly put down mass protests, killing thousands. There was no immediate confirmation from Iranian authorities of Khamenei's death. The Israeli army said that Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Khamenei, and the head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, were both also killed. "I saw with my own eyes two Tomahawk missiles flying horizontally toward targets," a Tehran office worker told AFP before communications and internet access were cut.

Source: Philippine Star March 01, 2026 01:40 UTC