Gambiaj.com – (TEL AVIV, Israel) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening that there are “many signs” Iran’s supreme leader is “no longer with us,” but stopped short of confirming that Ali Khamenei had been killed in Israeli strikes earlier in the day.
The claim, made hours after Israel launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, was swiftly contradicted by Iranian officials, who insisted that both the supreme leader and the country’s president remain alive.
Conflicting Claims Over Khamenei’s Fate
Israel has confirmed that Iran’s supreme leader was killed in strikes on Saturday, according to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter.
One of the sources said Israel had obtained a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s dead body. The second source said an official announcement is being prepared.
“There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer with us,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had destroyed Khamenei’s compound during the opening phase of the operation.
However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC that, to his knowledge, Khamenei and other high-ranking Iranian officials were still alive. Iran has not released any recent video of the supreme leader since the strikes began Saturday morning.
Iranian government spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also rejected suggestions that the country’s leadership had been decapitated. Speaking to ABC News, Baghaei said both the supreme leader and the president were “safe and sound,” adding that Iran’s government “system is working.”
The absence of visual confirmation from Tehran, however, has fueled speculation about Khamenei’s condition.
Strike on Leadership Targets
CNN previously reported that Khamenei was among the intended targets of Israel’s opening salvo, alongside other senior Iranian leaders. Israeli sources cited in the report said there was no confirmation that Khamenei had been killed.
A satellite image captured black smoke rising from Khamenei’s compound following the strikes, but it remains unclear whether he was present at the time.
CNN analyst Brett McGurk told anchor Kaitlan Collins that the key question now is whether the strikes eliminated Iran’s supreme leader. If Khamenei were killed, McGurk noted, the succession process in Iran is “not totally well-defined,” potentially setting off a volatile internal power struggle.
Netanyahu Vows Prolonged Campaign
Netanyahu said the operation against Iran would require “patience” and would “last as long as it needs.” He framed the campaign as necessary for long-term stability, declaring, “This war will lead to real peace.”
The sharply divergent narratives from Jerusalem and Tehran underscore the uncertainty surrounding the immediate impact of Israel’s strikes and raise the stakes in a rapidly escalating confrontation whose regional consequences remain unpredictable.
