Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday (local time) that there were many signs that Israel and the United States had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in airstrikes earlier in the day. In a televised address, Netanyahu called on Iranians to “take to the streets and finish the job.”
“This morning, in a powerful surprise strike, the building of tyrant Ali Khamenei was destroyed in the heart of Tehran… and there are many signs that this tyrant is no longer alive,” Netanyahu international press agencies said in a televised statement.
Netanyahu did not explicitly confirm Khamenei’s death or provide further details. No other source from Iran or elsewhere has reported this. LiveMint could not verify Netanyahu’s claim.
Israel’s prime minister said Khamenei’s compound was destroyed and commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and senior nuclear officials were killed in the strikes.
Iran has so far maintained that its supreme leader is alive. Earlier in the day, Iran’s Al-Alam television said Khamenei would speak, but no such speech was broadcast late Saturday.
Were Khamenei’s son-in-law, daughter-in-law killed?
There were also reports that Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law were killed in the strikes. Reports cited an unnamed member of Tehran’s city council, but there was no official word on that either.
Earlier in the day, the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran and President Donald Trump called on the Iranian public to ‘take control of their destiny’ by opposing the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.
Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, said on Saturday evening that at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 wounded. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel and US military bases in the Persian Gulf region and called criticism from the Muslim world.
Trump also called on Iranian security forces to lay down their arms and called on Iranians to overthrow their government after the bombing ends.
Hit the streets and get the job done.
Tehran said the strikes, which began in the early hours of the morning and hit targets in different areas of the country, unprovoked and illegal. The explosions caused widespread panic in cities across Iran. Residents rushed to collect children from school and flee areas that could be targeted.
(With inputs from Reuters)
