All articles tagged with #ali khamenei
Leaked audio from a private Iranian meeting alleges Mojtaba Khamenei was with his father in Tehran when he stepped outside for a moment, narrowly escaping a fatal Israeli strike on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound; the recording describes heavy casualties among senior officials and relatives, including the killing of military leaders, though the claims remain unverified.
The Israel Defense Forces say it overnight struck Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, destroying an aircraft used by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials. The strike, they add, disrupted Iran’s leadership coordination with allied countries and military buildup, degrading a strategic asset of the regime, with the IDF vowing further actions against Iranian military means.
Cyprus ambassador Alireza Salarian says Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the February 28 strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several family members at the Tehran presidential residence during Ramadan; Mojtaba has not appeared publicly and Iranian officials describe him as lightly injured. The assault occurred as US-led airstrikes targeted Iran, with Western intelligence warning of assassination risks surrounding the new leader.
U.S. law-enforcement agencies were alerted after a federal alert suggested Iran could have issued an operational trigger to activate sleeper assets worldwide as U.S.-Israel strikes escalated; the alert says there is no specific location tied to the threat, but authorities are increasing monitoring of suspicious transmissions amid broader Middle East hostilities.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel decided in November to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with the operation targeted for mid-2026, and that the plan was shared with Washington around January after Iranian protests; Katz also contends Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ali Khamenei, to become the next supreme leader, a move tied to pressure from the IRGC and drawing skepticism from observers about hereditary rule; as a developing story, reactions online run from cautious optimism to concern about continuity versus reform.
AP News presents a photo-gallery using maps and before/after imagery to show the US-Israel strike on Iran, highlighting the destruction around Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s compound and outlining potential successors, underscoring the broader political stakes in the region.
US President Donald Trump said in an Atlantic interview that Iran’s new leadership wants to open talks with Washington after US-Israeli strikes that Iran and Israel say killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; he noted some Iranian officials involved in recent contacts were reportedly killed and did not specify when a face-to-face discussion might occur. The remarks come as Washington and Jerusalem press on with a campaign against Iran, which has already inflicted casualties on US forces—three service members killed and several wounded—raising fears of broader escalation.
Israeli officials say, citing N12 News, that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead following a joint U.S.–Israel operation, while Iran’s foreign minister insists Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are alive; Reuters counters with reports that Iran’s defense minister and IRGC commander were eliminated, Axios cites strikes on multiple regime sites, and U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu describe a major operation against Iran. The situation is developing and the details remain unconfirmed.
Trump told NBC that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should be very worried, arguing U.S. intervention helped deter Iran by destroying nuclear facilities and saying peace in the Middle East hinges on dismantling Iran's nuclear program, while warning Tehran against rebuilding sites as US-Iran talks were disrupted.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly appeared to pray at Ruhollah Khomeini's tomb to kick off the Islamic Revolution's 47th anniversary celebrations, as protests continue and earlier reports suggested he had been moved to a safe underground facility in case of a strike.
Iran’s parliament says attacking Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would trigger a jihad across the Islamic world, as U.S.-Iran tensions rise amid protests and sharp rhetoric from Tehran and President Pezeshkian.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blamed Donald Trump for fueling the protests sweeping Iran, acknowledged thousands of deaths, and vowed to crack down on domestic 'sedition' as the country endures an internet blackout; official counts hover around 5,000 dead while rights groups say about 3,300 have died with around 24,000 arrests as demonstrations that began over economic grievances widen and calls for Khamenei to resign grow.
The piece argues Iran’s regime is at a turning point amid protests and violent repression, but real change hinges on the fate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Because he controls the regime through the Office of the Supreme Leader and the IRGC, a drastic internal reform is unlikely while he stays in power; however, once he departs, there could be a rare opening for a gradual liberalization and policy realignment, inspired by past transitions in other countries, though a hardline pullback remains a credible risk.
Sen. Lindsey Graham urged President Trump to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a Fox News interview, arguing it would embolden protesters as Iran faces nationwide demonstrations. He labeled Khamenei a modern-day Hitler and said action should ‘end this.’ Trump said the U.S. is weighing strong options in response to the crackdown, as hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested in the unrest.