Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in strikes, Israel says
Reuters
Israeli officials say Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the operation after the United States and Israel launched their most ambitious attack on the country in decades.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found. Iran has described the attacks as unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at at least seven countries, including Israel and Gulf states that host US bases.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were many signs that Khamenei was “no more” and called on the Iranians to finish the job.
He said Khamenei’s compound was destroyed and Revolutionary Guard commanders and senior nuclear officials were killed.
Three sources familiar with the matter said that Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasserzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were killed in the Israeli attacks. Iranian media wrote that Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law were also killed.
Although there was no official statement from the Trump administration, a Fox News reporter, citing a US official, said that the US believes that Ali Khamenei and five to 10 senior Iranian leaders were killed in the first Israeli attack.
Iran objected to the news from Israel; Iranian state media quoted a source close to Ali Khamenei’s office as saying that the leader remained “determined and determined to lead the field.”
Reuters
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