Iran confirms death of Supreme Leader Khamenei

Iranian state television on Sunday confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, without referring to reports of a massive US and Israeli attack on his residence.

A presenter announced Khamenei’s death at 5:00 am as the channel aired archive footage with a black banner in mourning.

Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.

President Donald Trump of the United States, had on Saturday said Khamenei was killed in air strikes, although there had been no immediate confirmation from Tehran at the time.

Trump wrote on social media: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.”

Trump said the Iranian leader had been “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems.”

The US president said Khamenei’s death offered Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back their country.”

He added: “We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces no longer want to fight and are looking for Immunity from us.

“As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’ Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves.

“That process should soon start in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated.

“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world!”