Supreme Leader Has Martyred:' Iran State Media Confirm Ayatollah Khamenei's Death In US-Israel Joint Strikes

Supreme Leader Has Martyred:' Iran State Media Confirm Ayatollah Khamenei's Death In US-Israel Joint Strikes.

Earlier, President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death and urged Iranians to take control of their government. Iranian officials initially dismissed reports of his killing as psychological warfare, but on Sunday morning in Tehran, as the conflict entered its second day with fresh attacks, Iran’s state news agency confirmed that the Supreme Leader had died.

The Iranian government later declared 40 days of national mourning and 7 days of public holidays over his death, saying US-Israeli attacks had killed the leader who had ruled the country for decades and was known as a staunch adversary of Israel and the United States.

Fars News Agency also posted: “We belong to Allah and we shall return to Him. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution was martyred.”

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said “the most famous leader in the world is now gone,” referring to Khamenei.

The 80-year-old cleric became Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of the Islamic Republic's founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Since then, he has maintained a firm grip on Iran's politics and its armed forces, and suppressed challenges to the ruling system, sometimes violently.

Ayatollah Khamenei has also consistently taken hard-line stances on external matters, including the ongoing confrontation with the United States.

Ali Larijani, a former IRGC commander, is a potential successor. He has significant influence and has been involved in key state portfolios, making him a trusted candidate within the regime. However, as he is not a senior cleric, his ascension might face challenges. The Assembly of Experts will ultimately choose the new Supreme Leader, maintaining institutional continuity despite Khamenei's death