Update (Feb. 28, 2026, 3:41 pm CST): A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News that the United States agrees with Israel’s assessment that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. Israeli officials also said 40 Iranian security and regime figures were killed in the opening strike on Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly been killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation targeting his compound in Tehran on February 28, 2026.
Multiple Israeli sources, including senior officials, have confirmed the death, with reports stating that Khamenei’s body was found under the rubble following precision strikes.
This marks a potential turning point in the region’s geopolitics, as Khamenei has ruled Iran since 1989, shaping its anti-Western policies, nuclear ambitions, and support for proxy militias across the Middle East.
Operation Epic Fury targeted high-level Iranian leadership, military sites, and infrastructure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, stating there are “many signs” that Khamenei is “no longer alive,” describing the destruction of the “compound of the tyrant Ali Khamenei” as a step toward regional peace.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found and confirmed dead. Similar confirmations appeared in reports from CNN, CBS News, and Fox News, citing Israeli and U.S. intelligence sources.
A senior U.S. defense official also told Fox News that the United States agrees with Israel’s assessment that Khamenei is dead, along with five to ten additional senior Iranian leaders who were meeting at the compound. A senior Israeli security official further said that 40 Iranian security and regime figures were killed in the opening strike on downtown Tehran.
The U.S. defense official said nearly 900 strikes were launched in the first 12 hours of the operation, while Iran has fired approximately 300 ballistic missiles in response.
President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “take over” their government, framing the action as an opportunity to end the regime’s threats.
Iranian officials have pushed back against these claims. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei is alive “as far as I know,” while a government spokesperson asserted that top leaders, including Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, remain “safe and sound.”
Iranian state media, such as Tasnim and Mehr, reported Khamenei as “commanding the field” amid the attacks, though no recent public appearances or direct statements from him have surfaced.
The operation follows years of proxy conflicts, Iran’s nuclear advancements, and recent escalations, including prior strikes in 2025.
Analysts note that Khamenei’s death—if confirmed—could create a significant power vacuum, as succession processes are opaque and influenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Reportedly, no immediate successor has been named, raising questions about regime stability.
The U.S. has heightened domestic alerts, with counterterrorism teams on standby to monitor potential retaliation from Iran-backed groups.
As developments unfold rapidly, the international community watches closely for Iran’s response, possible further strikes, and implications for global security.
For more in-depth prior coverage on Operation Epic Fury and related developments, check out these key reports from The Dallas Express:
- Trump Says Khamenei Is Dead, Iranian Forces Seeking Immunity, Urges Iranians To “Take Back” Country
- “Operation Epic Fury Unleashed: The World Is Watching”
- “First Combat Use: How CENTCOM’s Budget One-Way Attack Drones Changed The Game In Operation Epic Fury”
- “President Trump Announces ‘Major Combat Operations’ As U.S., Israel Strike Iran”
- “Missile Attack Reported At U.S. Navy 5th Fleet Service Center In Bahrain”