On Saturday evening (February 28), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in his latest televised speech that there are strong indications suggesting that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been assassinated.
Netanyahu stated, “Assistance has arrived!” He went on to say, “We have destroyed Khamenei’s residence and eliminated the Revolutionary Guard commander and senior nuclear officials.”
Netanyahu also added that there are “various signs” indicating that Khamenei is “no longer among the living.” He further stated that airstrikes will continue “when necessary” and claimed that “this war will bring about peace.”
However, the Israeli Prime Minister did not provide further details on the operation.
Israeli officials earlier informed local media outlet Walla News on Saturday afternoon that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei has lost contact with the outside world and his fate remains unknown. Shortly after the Israeli airstrike on Khamenei’s residence in Tehran, Iranian officials promised to release an audio recording of Khamenei. However, as of now, no such recording has been made public.
Just minutes before the Israeli Prime Minister’s televised speech, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Sky News UK that to his knowledge, Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are currently safe, but multiple commanders have died in the attack.
Preliminary assessments by Israeli officials suggest that Khamenei was injured in the attack. Both Israeli, American, and Iranian sides have not received official confirmation.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, a former Mossad official stated, “If Khamenei is killed, it will lead to a seismic shift in the situation.”
“We are still in the early stages of this event, and the developments in the coming days will determine whether this is a limited escalation or a deeper regional transformation,” he added.