Has Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, been killed as claimed by Israel?

Following Channel 12’s report, a few other Israeli media outlets started disseminating the news of the killing of Khamenei.

Edited by: Tahir Qureshi

Updated: February 28, 2026, 9:31 PM IST

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There is no official confirmation from Iran.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing war with Iran, Israeli media, Channel 12 to be specific, has reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike. Channel 12 had cited unnamed Israeli sources and said that there were “growing indications” that the 87-year-old Supreme Leader had been killed.

Following Channel 12’s report, a few other Israeli media outlets started disseminating the news of the killing of Khamenei. However, there is no official confirmation from Iran except that the Iranian foreign minister has said that Ayatollah Khamenei is still alive.

Other Israeli media outlets reported the same news, albeit without confirming it, as they noted that a confirmation was expected.

It is to be noted that Abbas Aragchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, told NBC News in an interview that Khamenei was still alive, “as far as I know”.

When Israel and the USA started the bombardment of Iran on the morning of Saturday, 28 February 2026, some of their first targets were the residences and offices of Ali Khamenei. However, it had been reported that the Supreme Leader had already been moved to a secure location.

“Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the targets of the attack,” reported Israeli media, citing sources.

News Agency Reuters, citing three sources, reported that Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were killed in the attacks.