this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026

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371

BREAKING NEWS - Israeli media reports Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leader of Iran, was killed inside his bunker (www.maariv.co.il)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by Luriana@sh.itjust.works to c/world@lemmy.world

142 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This is a developing story. More to follow very soon.

EDIT 1

Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei was killed a few moments ago, a senior Israeli official told journalists off the record.

Footage of Khamenei’s body was allegedly presented to Prime Minister Netanyahu a few minutes ago. No official statement has been published.

EDIT 2

Videos in Farsi published on social media show some people cheering in Tehran from their apartments.

https://x.com/ManotoNews/status/2027835583146463736

These videos are not authentified. They could very well be true or AI.

EDIT 3

Headline of Maariv newspaper is now "Khamenei is killed"

"After decades of absolute rule, Israel confirms that the end of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has come"

EDIT 4

Reuters says Khamenei has been killed according to an Israeli official.

Iran DENIES the information and says Ayatollah Khamenei is fully in command.

https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-crisis-live-explosions-tehran-israel-announces-strike-2026-02-28/

EDIT 6

Some Iranian opposition accounts are celebrating.

Association of French-Iranian women says "YES, Finally"

https://x.com/femmeazadi/status/2027836456119443519

Iranian Sana Ebrahimi published video of herself dancing

https://x.com/__Injaneb96/status/2027841112610676910

EDIT 7

Politician Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Canadian Opposition, claims Ayatollah Khamenei is killed

https://x.com/PierrePoilievre/status/2027845628391526774

EDIT 8

I̶D̶F̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶f̶i̶r̶m̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶t̶h̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶K̶h̶a̶m̶e̶n̶e̶i̶

The IDF said several Iranian leaders are killed, including the Defense Minister and Ali Shamkhani, the closest advisor of the Ayatollah

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-confirms-killing-top-iranian-leaders-including-top-defense-official-ali-shamkhani/

EDIT 9

Iranian Researcher Khosrol Isfahani published videos of people honking in the streets on social media

https://x.com/KhosroIsfahani/status/2027839875500912833

EDIT 10

Donald Trump told NBC News that he feels reports about the death of Khamenei are correct.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-responds-reports-ayatollah-death-rcna261149

EDIT 11

Iran International, the largest Iranian political opposition network, says Ayatollah Khamenei have been killed according to their own sources.

https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2027846843061633455

https://www.iranintl.com/fa/liveblog/20260228-Iranwar

EDIT 12

A french far-left politician who was questioned by police about her support for Hamas-Hezbollah just published a burning american flag. She really mad.

EDIT 13

Farnaz Fassihi, an iranian-american journalist, says she spoke on the phone with her sources in Tehran

Many people are celebrating but she says the information is NOT confirmed.

🚨 New York Times claims Trump confirms

EDIT 14

Official statement from the White House.

IT'S OVER FOLKS !!!

top 50 comments

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[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 170 points 2 months ago (14 children)

Anyone celebrating this, you HAVE to understand that the US and Israel did NOT do this because it was what the Iranian people want, they did it because it was what THEY want. Whether this will actually be good or bad for the Iranian people makes absolutely no difference to the US and Israel. This was not the US and Israel heroically liberating the Iranian people, this was the US and Israel making a very important decision for the Iranian people, without their approval or consent. And the US and Israel did that because they feel they have the right to make that decision for the Iranian people.

[–] sirscooter@lemmy.zip 32 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm hoping the Iranian people can come out of this a better country. But you are totally correct in that the US did this for the oil not the people.

[–] in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 months ago

So long as the new governance is approved by Israel and The West. They better not try to democratically elect a leftist or socialist otherwise they're gonna get a Western backed dictator forced on them instead.

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[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 22 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Khamenei was a monster. It doesn't matter how or why he's dead. Good riddance, may he burn in hell for an eternity.

It doesn't matter whether a monster is killed by someone with noble intentions or a monster is killed by another monster. Either way there's one less monster in the world.

[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 32 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

It doesn't matter whether a monster is killed by someone with noble intentions or a monster is killed by another monster.

It does matter. It matters. And it's so, so important that people understand that it matters. This attitude of, "the ends justify the means," is very dangerous. The Iranian nation has had their autonomy taken away from them, first by Khamenei and now by the US and Israel. They are powerless, subject to the whims of people more powerful than them. They don't make their own decisions about their own nation, the decisions are made for them by people who have enough guns and strongmen to impose their will on them.

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[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (9 children)

I'm glad he's dead, but the fear is that this creates an even worse situation.

Attempts to remove a dictator by force are usually not possible without a lengthy occupation. There's no new government or leaders ready to form a new government that is better for the Iranian people. An occupation is also unlikely to have good results. This isn't reforming Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan, this is something else entirely. I would expect the people of Iran to not respond well to aggressors occupying their country. This is at best Afghanistan 2, but likely worse

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[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

Both can be true and the act does not need to be selfless to be good.

[–] lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com 14 points 2 months ago

I know that Trump did do this for himself.

On the other hand, the Mullah dictatorship murdered Thousand of protesters during the last months, so they can get fcked!!!

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

I think this is obvious. We're talking about a geopolitical war here. All the parties are looking exclusively looking to advance their own interests. That being said, I think we can criticize Israel and the US for attacking Iran for the way that they did, but also celebrate the deaths of this evil bastard as well as stand with the Iranian people who want their country back.

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[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 138 points 2 months ago (13 children)

No love for this dude, but this won't end here.

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 58 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not like we've been here before. Surly there won't be blowback from this.

[–] forwhomthecattolls@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

yeah this has never gone wrong ever

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago

We just killed the dude that killed the dude we put in power after killing a fourth dude. Fucking circus of circles.

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 84 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm glad he's dead, I'm sad how it happened. Foreign bombs against a religious and political leader don't make for a stable transition of power, they result in decades of war between rebels in the mountains and whoever controls the cities.

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[–] clot27@lemmy.zip 51 points 2 months ago (3 children)

If this is true it would make IRGC even more united and furious I hope they kill netanyahu in retaliation

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 40 points 2 months ago

And Fascist 47 while we're at it.

[–] BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Everything is still kind of unverified, but it sounds like they may have got a significant portion of the IRGC leadership too.

The popular voice right now seems to be the crown prince of the former Iranian monarchy.

[–] clot27@lemmy.zip 22 points 2 months ago

that asshole can go fuck himself

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Basically because there's no obvious uniting figure, so they go with somebody irrelevant and inoffensive.

The US has opened a huge can of worms they have no interest in actually managing. This is going to be Syria but bigger and in an economically significant area.

[–] EvergreenGuru@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The issue is this is all western propaganda. We can only judge by Iran’s response, and since they’re making a cohesive military counterattack by bombing US Bases, we can see the country hasn’t lost its leadership.

Trump attacking Iran is not going to go well. I believe Iran will win and the US will have wasted resources. Most importantly, the Iranians have closed the Strait of Hormuz.

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[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 50 points 2 months ago (2 children)

"The bombings will continue until peace is achieved" is one of the craziest things I've ever heard Trump say, and that is saying a lot

[–] LumberjackRanger@leminal.space 10 points 2 months ago

"I'm going going to keep punching you until you stop saying ouch."

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[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 45 points 2 months ago (7 children)

Say goodbye to a few trillion $ and any hope of a future for a few generations

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[–] piskertariot@lemmy.world 42 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Including a statement from Pierre Poilievre means that the news doesn't matter.

If you're going to include the opinions of people who can't even win their own seat from countries who are across an ocean from Iran, there are plenty of others who are relevant.

[–] rozodru@piefed.world 30 points 2 months ago

the fuck is PP giving statements for? fucker still doesn't have security clearance. He's got about as much knowledge on what's really going on as I do.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 38 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm sure there will be a quick and peaceful transfer of power to a completely democratic leadership and no civilian casualties whatsoever.

[–] Ulvain@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago

..." And the daydreaming ends. And you realize with your dick in your hand that you're in the bottom of an empty well.

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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 37 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Given the viciousness and the firepower both US and Israel can bring to bare, it's very possible they killed him.

Also possible they're just announcing this to further domestic unrest. If Khamenei doesn't stick his head out to announce he's alive, it will be that much easier to flip generals or city leaders who think they'll need to surrender in order to survive.

Videos in Farsi published on social media show some people cheering in Tehran

"We'll be greeted as liberators"

No shortage of people in Iran who hate the Ayatollah. But it's unlikely you'll find folks under active bombardment feeling in the mood to cheer at any news.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

Flip to what, though?

Iran was built to be redundant, and the protest movement is just a protest movement, to date. This isn't going to be a clean transition to a different united regime.

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[–] Luriana@sh.itjust.works 31 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Personal opinion

He was instrumental in helping Bachar El Assad massacre Syrians after the 2011 Arab Spring. The Iranian military saved Bachar by slaughtering countless

He was the daddy of Hezbollah. Hezbollah assasinated countless Lebanese politicians who spoke out against the group. Khamenei urged Hezbollah to trigger two major wars against Israel (2006, 2023). The overwhelming majority of Lebanese DID NOT want these wars. The response was absolutely devastating for ordinary lebanese. Khamenei was laughing from Tehran while Lebanese paid the price.

He was an enemy of the Ukrainian people. At the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, he gave thousands of drones to Vladimir Poutine. Drones are used to bomb Ukrainian cities

And perhaps the most sadly, he was an enemy of the Iranian people. His men slaughtered countless Iranian protesters. As for the survivors, they were tortured and raped.

https://theconversation.com/how-irans-government-has-weaponized-sexual-violence-against-women-who-dare-to-resist-253791

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/7480/2023/en/

That dude was just evil. If anyone had it coming, it was him.

Let's hope that this bloody war ends now.

[–] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 52 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"Lets hope this bloody war ends now."

Hahahahahahah. No chance.

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[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 25 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (7 children)

OK now who are we installing next to come back and murder in 2050?

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[–] ieGod@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 months ago

Can't wait until trump is eliminated.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 16 points 2 months ago

"one of the most evil people in history is dead" says the pedophile president.

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Good outcome, still illegal as fuck.

[–] BlackAura@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

The funny thing I've been reading / seeing is that the paralympics are still ongoing.

The Olympic truce says no one will start a war during the 7 days before the Olympics and for 7 days after the Paralympics finish.

The US and Israel should be banned by the IOC from competing at the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (even though the host country is the US).

It won't happen though.

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[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 months ago

If only countries targeted only the politicians and avoided killing civillians.

[–] mrl1@jlai.lu 10 points 2 months ago

Why is OP mentioning Rima Hassan though? French left has been criticizing every international interference illegal in regards to NATO directives.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 months ago

Won't believe until corroborated by both sides.

[–] breakfastmtn@piefed.ca 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Iran confirms:

Iranian state media announced early on Sunday that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return,” the news agency said. He died after U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran on Saturday.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/28/world/iran-strikes-trump/02e753fe-8b30-5272-b383-56b1659d6491

Edit: Also a whole bunch of his family.

The deaths of the daughter, son-in-law and grandson of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, were confirmed, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency on Sunday morning in Iran. One of his daughters-in-law was also killed, the news agency said.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/28/world/iran-strikes-trump/18b01a1c-c503-57bf-9436-38ffeaa15889

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

Nice. Every time a dictator dies I celebrate - simple.

[–] Hubi@feddit.org 9 points 2 months ago

Too bad, I'm sure Assad was looking forward to meeting his new roommate.

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