Four of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s family, including his grandchild, are slaughtered in airstrikes
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were killed in joint US and Israeli strikes.
The family deaths were reported on Iranian state media in the early hours of Sunday morning, following airstrikes on Iran at around 1.15am on Saturday by the US and Israel.
Khamenei was killed in the missile strike, Donald Trump confirmed. He was the Islamic Republic’s leader for almost 37 years, who reportedly rarely travelled and was said to have lived in a compound in Tehran with his wife, six children and grandchildren, the BBC reported.
Earlier reports said Khamenei’s body was found under rubble in his compound following the strikes.
The president confirmed the Supreme Leader’s death in a post on Truth Social, adding that ‘one of the most evil people in History, is dead.’
‘This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,’ Trump continued.
‘He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.’
Officials in Iran, however, have said the Supreme Leader is ‘safe and sound.’
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were killed in joint US and Israeli strikes
A satellite image shows smoke rising from Khamenei’s compound in Tehran following US and Israeli airstrikes on Saturday
However, the president revealed he apparently knows who has stepped into the leadership role following Khamenei’s death.
In a phone call with CBS News, Trump said: ‘I know exactly who, but I can’t tell you.’
The areas that were hit first in the attacks ‘posed an imminent threat,’ CENTCOM said in a statement.
‘Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields,’ it said.
After the initial strikes, Iran launched retaliatory attacks, causing US forces and surrounding Middle Eastern countries to ‘defend against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks,’ CENTCOM said.
This is a breaking news story.
