U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is “confident” that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a recent Israeli attack, further heightening tensions in the Middle East.
In a telephone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that reports of Khamenei’s death are accurate.
“We are confident that Khamenei is dead. Based on the intelligence we have, this is correct,” Trump said, adding that he had consulted multiple sources and officials.
Citing a senior U.S. official, Fox News reported that Washington believes between five and ten senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, were killed in Israel’s initial wave of strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the matter in a televised speech late Saturday, saying there are “many indications” that the Iranian leader is no longer alive.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that Khamenei was killed during an attack on his palace compound in Tehran and that his body was recovered from the rubble. The report further claimed that Netanyahu was shown images purportedly of the body.
Meanwhile, The New York Times published satellite images showing extensive destruction at the targeted complex in the Iranian capital.
However, Iranian authorities have strongly denied the claims, describing them as part of a “psychological warfare” campaign designed to sow confusion.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, told ABC News that both President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Khamenei are alive and that government operations are continuing as normal.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from Tehran regarding Khamenei’s reported death, leaving the situation marked by uncertainty amid escalating regional tensions.
