Iran has declared 40 days of national mourning following the death of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, according to state television reports on Sunday.
Iranian state media, including Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), described Khamenei as a martyr, saying his death occurred during attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Saturday.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Khamenei had been killed following large-scale strikes on Iranian targets, calling the development a turning point for the Iranian people.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that military operations would continue until stability is restored in the region.
Iran’s leadership said the Supreme Leader played a central role in shaping the country’s domestic and foreign policy for decades, helping transform the Islamic Republic into a major regional power.
According to Israeli military sources, the strikes targeted strategic locations where senior Iranian officials were meeting, killing several top figures, including the defence minister and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the “martyrdom of Imam Ali Khamenei” would mark the beginning of a new uprising against what it called global oppression.
The council had recently been established to coordinate military strategy after a brief but intense conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The attacks reportedly killed more than 200 people, according to the Red Crescent, and triggered retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets and U.S. military positions in the Middle East.
Reports also indicated mixed reactions within Iran, with exile-linked media claiming that some residents in Tehran celebrated after news of Khamenei’s death spread through satellite broadcasts.
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