Iran Attack: Trump & Khamenei – Death Announcement?

US President Donald Trump announced the death of Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his statement on his social media platform Truth Social. “Khamenei, one of the worst people in history, is dead,” Trump said, adding, “This means justice for the people of Iran, as well as for all the great Americans and people in many countries around the world who were killed or maimed by Khamenei and his bloodthirsty gang.”

Stating that Khamenei could not escape the US’s intelligence and advanced tracking system, Trump argued that this was “the only great chance for the Iranian people to take back their country.”

Stating that he hopes the Revolutionary Guard and police will work together with Iranian patriots to make the country great again, Trump said, “This process must begin as soon as possible, because not only Khamenei is dead, the country has been damaged and even destroyed for one day.”

Giving the message that the bombardment against Iran will continue, Trump said, “However, heavy and precise bombardment will continue uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our goal of peace in the Middle East and the world.”

Before this post, US President Donald Trump made a statement to NBC television regarding the news that Khamenei had died and said, “We think this is true news.”

White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced on her X account that she spoke on the phone with US President Donald Trump, the leaders of the United Kingdom, Kuwait and Türkiye.

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, in his statement on his X account, stated that Erdoğan had a phone conversation with Trump. Duran said, “During the meeting, the latest situation and current developments in Iran and the Gulf countries were discussed.”

Tasnim News Agency, citing a source familiar with the matter, stated that Iran’s religious leader Ali Khamenei “was positioned at the center of operations and personally commanded the conduct of the war.”

According to Iranian state media, an official of Khamenei’s communications office evaluated the statements that Khamenei was dead as “psychological warfare”. “The enemy is waging psychological warfare, everyone should be aware of this,” the official said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the death of Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is possible. “This morning, with a great surprise attack, we destroyed the headquarters of the tyrant Ali Khamenei, located in the heart of Tehran. There are many signs that this oppressor is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement this evening.

Speaking to Reuters, a senior Israeli government official also claimed that Khamenei died during the attacks and his body was found.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) made a statement about the attacks against Iran. Stating that “Operation Epic Rage” was launched on Saturday upon the instructions of the US President, CENTCOM noted that the attacks were started as of 01.15 (09.15 GMT) to “bring down the security apparatus of the Iranian regime”. Stating that the targets of the attacks were “Islamic Revolutionary Guards Command and control center, Iranian air defense systems, missile and drone launch areas and military airports”, CENTCOM stated that the missile and drone attacks from Iran were repelled. CENTCOM reported that there were no casualties or injuries to US soldiers during the attacks, and the damage to US facilities was minimal.

The first official statement regarding the casualties in the Israeli and US attacks on Iran has come. According to the information provided by the Iranian Red Crescent, at least 201 people died and approximately 750 people were injured in the attacks. In the statement published by the Iranian news agency ISNA, it was stated that the attacks affected 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces and that the Red Crescent was on duty in the regions where the attacks were effective.

The Israeli army reported that the attacks against Iran were the “largest” attack in the history of its air force. In the statement made by the army, it was stated that approximately 200 warplanes participated in the “comprehensive attack against the missile arsenal and defense systems of the terrorist regime in the western and central parts of Iran” since the morning hours. The army noted that warplanes attacked “approximately 500 targets”, including “missile launchers and air defense systems”.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that they “regretted” the attacks against Iran and found Iran’s missile attacks on the Gulf countries “unacceptable”.

Erdoğan made statements about the developments in the region at the AKP’s Istanbul Provincial Organization Iftar. Erdoğan said that they were deeply saddened and concerned about the American-Israeli attacks against Iran, which started with the provocations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We regret the morning’s attacks, which not only clearly violate Iran’s sovereignty, but also threaten the peace of the friendly and brotherly Iranian people,” said President Erdogan, adding, “Similarly, we find Iran’s missile and drone attacks against our brother countries in the Gulf unacceptable, for whatever reason.”

Warning that “If common sense and common sense do not prevail and space is not opened for diplomacy, our region is at risk of being dragged into a ring of fire,” Erdogan said, “All actors, especially the Islamic world, need to take urgent action to prevent more bloodshed and to prevent our region from experiencing greater pain.” Erdoğan added that they would “simultaneously accelerate diplomatic efforts to first establish a ceasefire and then return to the negotiation table.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Iran to stop attacks on Israel and other allied countries in the region. Merz, in his statement through Government Spokesperson Stefan Kornelius, stated that Iran should give up its “destabilization activities” in the region and asked the Tehran administration to end the violence against its own people. The statement emphasized that Germany was not involved in the attacks against Iran and noted that the German government was in close contact with the USA and Israel, as well as its partners in Europe and the region.

Radical Islamist Hezbollah in Lebanon has expressed solidarity with Iran. In its statement, Hezbollah threatened the USA and Israel with a “heavy blow”, but did not provide information about possible military steps it planned to take. Lebanese Prime Minister Nevvaf Selam warned against dragging the country into an “adventure”. Israel had threatened the Beirut government that it would hit civilian infrastructure such as airports if Hezbollah intervened.

White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated in her statement on her X account that US President Donald Trump followed the situation in Iran throughout the night with his national security team at Mar-a-Lago. Noting that Trump also spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Leavitt stated that Trump will continue to follow the situation throughout the day. Leavitt stated that before the attacks on Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called eight members to convey the situation to Congress and informed the seven members he reached.

Iraqi officials warned Baghdad not to be drawn into the conflict in the region after two people were killed in air strikes in the south of the country.

Prime Ministry military spokesman Sabah Al Numan stated that Iraq “condemns the unjust aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and warned “about the consequences of open aggression against Iraqi regions.”

Al-Numan emphasized that they are against the use of Iraqi airspace and territory “as a corridor or launching point” for attacks against Iran, and that they reject the use of their lands or territorial waters in a way that would lead to the country being drawn into the conflict.

Baghdad also called for “an immediate halt to military operations” and invited relevant forces, especially the United States, to “act responsibly and actively contribute to finding solutions away from the military option.”

While Iraq announced that it had closed its airspace on Saturday, eyewitnesses and a military source speaking to AFP reported that warplanes and missiles were seen in Iraqi airspace.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the war that broke out in the Middle East once again. In his statement in New York, Guterres said that the violence used by the United States and Israel against Iran and Iran’s retaliatory measures “undermine international peace and security.”

Stating that all member states of the UN must comply with their obligations arising from international law, including the United Nations Charter, Guterres emphasized that the Treaty in question clearly prohibits the threat of violence against the territorial integrity or political independence of a state.

The experienced diplomat also demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities and a reduction in tension, stating that otherwise there would be a greater danger of regional conflict that would have serious negative consequences for the civilian population and the stability of the entire Middle East. Inviting all parties to return to the negotiation table, Guterres stated that international disputes can only be ended sustainably through peaceful solutions.

It was reported that the official residence of Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hit in Israeli-US air strikes. Satellite images published by the Iranian news portal Sabrin News showed that the area known as Beit-e Rehbari, a high-security campus in Tehran, was completely destroyed. Some residents in the capital also confirmed that the residence was hit. It is not yet known whether Khamenei was at the residence during the attack.

Speaking to the American NBC News channel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi answered the question whether Khamenei and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian were alive after the attacks: “As far as I know, yes, they are alive.” Minister Arakçi stated that two commanders were killed in the attacks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi emphasized that all bases participating in attacks against his country “have become legitimate targets.”

In his statement to Iranian state television, Arakchi said, “All points where Zionist and US operations are carried out, as well as all points where all actions against Iran’s defense operations are carried out, are considered legitimate targets for the Iranian armed forces.”