Iran has confirmed that the joint air strikes by Israel and the US, called Operation Lion’s Roar by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the US, killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei (April 19, 1939 – February 28, 2026) on February 28, 2026. The Islamic Republic has announced that it is observing 40 days of public mourning following the demise of the Supreme Leader as the 40th day after death, known as Arba’een, holds deep spiritual significance in Shia Islam.

It may be noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu announced Khamenei’s death on February 28 evening. Later, US President Donald John Trump made a similar announcement on social media. However, Tehran repeatedly claimed that Khamenei was alive and safe. The Islamic Republic confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader on March 1, 2026 morning. The daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter of Ayatollah Khamenei were also killed.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expressed deep condolences, calling Khamenei a “great” and “unique” leader. The IRGC also vowed to punish the “murderers” of the Supreme Leader, saying in a statement: “The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them.” It added: “The most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces will begin any moment now.”

Israel launched a pre-emptive strike on key sites in Iran on February 28 morning, with Prime Minister Netanyahu claiming that the attacks targeted Ayatollah Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The US, too, joined the venture as a series of drones and missiles hit major Iranian cities, including Tehran. Tehran claimed that Israel and the US dropped at least 1,200 bombs on the very first day of the war. On February 28 night, Netanyahu claimed that the Supreme Leader died and his office was completely destroyed.

Later, President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Khamenei, 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…” He sent a message of nation-building to Iranians and urged the Iranian nationals, who live in foreign countries, to return home safely. The US President also requested anti-Khamenei protesters to work together with the Iranian Military. He did not forget to mention that bombing of Iran would continue for at least another week in order to establish peace.

Iran retaliated on February 28 in response to the joint US-Israeli attacks and destroyed at least 14 US military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Authorities in the UAE confirmed that the Burj Khalifa was evacuated as a precautionary measure after explosions were heard in the area. The atmosphere of war in West Asia persists, driven by Iran’s intense conflict with Israel and the US.

Although President Trump has claimed that Iran wants a “complete and total” ceasefire, political analysts are of the opinion that Iran will escalate attacks especially after the demise of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das