Iran's Supreme Leader Killed in US-Israeli Strike
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on his Tehran compound, plunging the Middle East into crisis. In response, Iran has launched retaliatory missile attacks on Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continue to rock Tehran, with smoke seen rising over the capital.
Ali Khamenei was only the second Supreme Leader in the history of the Islamic Republic, holding the position since the death of the revolution's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989. Before becoming Supreme Leader, Khamenei served as the president of Iran during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. The Supreme Leader holds ultimate political and religious authority in Iran, with the final say on all state matters. The position of commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) falls under his direct control, as do the judiciary, state media, and other key government organizations. According to Iran's constitution, a temporary leadership council will assume Khamenei's duties. This council is comprised of the sitting president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a cleric from the Guardian Council. The 88-member Assembly of Experts, a body of elected Islamic jurists, is constitutionally required to choose the next Supreme Leader as soon as possible. This group is currently chaired by Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani. The current escalation follows a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025 and recent failed nuclear talks. U.S. President Donald Trump has stated the goal of the current operation is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and has urged Iranians to "take over your government." Potential successors being discussed include Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has strong ties to the IRGC, and current judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei. Other names mentioned are Alireza Arafi, an influential cleric, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini. The previous frontrunner, President Ebrahim Raisi, was killed in a helicopter crash in May 2024.
