Iran's Supreme Leader Killed in US-Israeli Strike
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in a targeted U.S.-Israeli strike, a major escalation that followed months of CIA tracking. In response, Iran has fired missiles at Israel and Gulf states, while President Trump claims a diplomatic deal will now be "easy." The power vacuum has seen President Masoud Pezeshkian named interim head amid turmoil in Tehran.
The U.S. and Israeli operation that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the culmination of months of planning and followed a breakdown in indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. The strikes, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" by the U.S., were not limited to Tehran, hitting targets in several other major Iranian cities and reportedly killing around 40 senior officials. Satellite imagery confirmed that Khamenei's residential compound in central Tehran was completely destroyed. In the immediate aftermath, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on at least 27 U.S. bases across the Middle East and targets in Israel. The salvos struck locations in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan. In Israel, a missile strike on the city of Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, resulted in at least six fatalities. Constitutionally, a temporary three-member council assumes the Supreme Leader's duties until a permanent successor is chosen. This interim body currently consists of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and senior cleric Ali Reza Arafi from the Guardian Council. The 88-member Assembly of Experts is tasked with appointing the next leader, a process with no specified deadline. The selection of the next Supreme Leader is a secretive process, with the Assembly of Experts reportedly considering a confidential list of candidates. Potential successors mentioned in analyses include Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder. The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is expected to wield significant influence over the final decision. The attacks have thrown global energy markets into uncertainty, with Iran threatening to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow waterway is a critical chokepoint, with about 20% of the world's total oil consumption passing through it daily. Roughly 84% of the crude oil and condensate that moved through the strait in 2024 was destined for Asian markets. International reactions have been sharply divided. China and Russia condemned the killing of a sovereign leader as a violation of international law. Allies of the U.S., including Canada and Australia, expressed support for the operation, while many world leaders have called for de-escalation to prevent a wider regional conflict. Inside Iran, reactions have been mixed, with state-organized mourning contrasting with celebrations in some areas.
