U.S. President Donald Trump announced this Saturday that the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has served as Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989, died in the attacks and called on the Iranian people to 'reclaim' their country after decades of clerical rule.
'This is not only justice for the Iranian people, but for all great Americans and people from many countries around the world who have been killed or maimed by Khamenei and his band of bloodthirsty thugs,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The Fars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported separately that the Supreme Leader's daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were killed in the attacks carried out on Saturday morning by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic. The same source also indicated that one of Khamenei's daughters-in-law died during one of Saturday's attacks.
The U.S. and Israeli offensive began early Saturday against targets in Tehran and other Iranian cities such as Tabriz (northwest) and Isfahan (center).
The attacks have so far resulted in more than 200 deaths, according to Red Crescent estimates.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran promised this Sunday to avenge the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, with a 'harsh and decisive' punishment.
'The hand of the Iranian nation's vengeance will not leave its murderers in peace until they face a harsh, decisive, and regrettable punishment,' the elite military corps said in a statement shortly after the announcement of the death of the 86-year-old cleric in the Israeli and U.S. attacks.
The Iranian government declared a 40-day mourning period this Sunday for the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Iran's state television reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously reported the death of the Iranian leader. The country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also confirmed Khamenei's death and expressed regret: 'We have lost our great leader, and we mourn him (...). His martyrdom at the hands of the most terrible terrorists and exterminators of humanity is a symbol of his virtue,' the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran said in a statement picked up by the Iranian Fars agency.
'Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, has died.'
