Tehran, Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was reported to have been killed on Saturday after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, Reuters reported. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found following the strikes.
Report of death and damage in Tehran
Satellite images showed significant damage to Khamenei’s Tehran compound, which was described as one of the first targets of the bombing campaign.
Role in the Islamic Republic
Khamenei’s death would represent a major blow to the Islamic Republic, which he had led since 1989, after rising to prominence in the theocratic revolution that toppled Iran’s monarchy.
Confrontation abroad and repression at home
Reuters described Khamenei as a longtime adversary of the West who crushed internal opposition while supporting proxy forces across the region.
Recent crisis and nuclear talks
Even before Saturday’s reported attack, Reuters said Khamenei was facing the most severe crisis of his 36-year rule as he sought to prolong negotiations with the United States over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Crackdown on protests
Reuters reported that earlier this year Khamenei ordered the deadliest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, saying protesters should be “put in their place,” before security forces opened fire on demonstrators chanting “Death to the dictator!”.
What do you think the reported death of Khamenei could mean for Iran’s leadership?
