US President Donald Trump has declared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead on Truth Social, calling the development “justice” and a major turning point in the conflict.
“Khamenei, one of the worst people in history, is dead,” Trump wrote. He added that the outcome represents “justice for the people of Iran” and others around the world.
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Claims of intelligence success and coordination with Israel
Trump said the result was the result of advanced surveillance capabilities and cooperation with Israel.
“He was unable to evade our intelligence and highly sophisticated surveillance systems,” he wrote, adding that “there was nothing he or the other leaders who were killed with him could have done in close cooperation with Israel.”
He did not provide independent verification of the claim.
He is calling on the Iranian military to switch sides
In his post, Trump suggested that elements of Iran’s security forces were reassessing their positions.
“We have heard that many of their IRGC, military and other security and police forces no longer want to fight and are seeking immunity from us,” he wrote.
Referring to the previous statement, he said, “Now they can have immunity, later they will only get Death!”
Trump called on Iranian security forces to engage with civilians, saying he hoped to “engage peacefully with the patriots of Iran.”
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The call for an Iranian uprising
Trump called the strikes an opportunity for political change in Iran.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” he wrote.
He added that some members of Iran’s security forces were seeking immunity and suggested possible defections within the ranks of the IRGC and other institutions.
Trump tweeted about conditional immunity, writing: “Now they can have immunity, later they will only get death!”
Ongoing military campaign
Trump said military operations would continue until the targets were met.
“However, heavy and accurate bombing will continue, uninterrupted for a week or as long as necessary,” he wrote.
He described the broader goal of the campaign as achieving “PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND INDEFINITELY IN THE WORLD”.
No immediate official confirmation
The post contained no evidence confirming Khamenei’s status, and there was no immediate public confirmation from Iranian authorities at the time of the statement.
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Benjamin Netanyahu signals the claim of Khamenei’s death
In a nationally televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “growing signs” that Iran’s supreme leader had been killed following attacks on his compound early Saturday morning.
Netanyahu did not provide independent evidence, but indicated that the operation had produced significant results.
Israeli officials confirmed the death
Shortly after the speech, two Israeli officials told reporters, according to the AP, that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been confirmed dead. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement and did not provide further details.
There was no immediate official confirmation from Israel or Iran regarding the claim.
Uncertainty about official status
The statement comes amid rapidly escalating regional tensions following military strikes and retaliatory attacks in the Middle East. The status of the Iranian leadership remains unconfirmed and authorities have yet to issue a formal confirmation.
