AdvertisementTwo Iranian sources told Reuters that Khamenei met on Saturday with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a secure location shortly before the strikes started. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s top leader was killed after intelligence pinpointed his movements. In this photo released on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised speech. AdvertisementThe U.S. official said the attack needed to strike Khamenei first to maintain the element of surprise, suggesting there was concern the Iranian leader would escape into hiding if he had the opportunity. But Israeli intelligence detected a meeting on Saturday morning, and the strikes were moved forward, the sources said.

Source: Huffington Post March 01, 2026 14:32 UTC