Hamas on Sunday announced that it was mourning the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing his killing as a “heinous” act carried out through joint action by the United States and Israel. In an official statement, the Palestinian group said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had long extended political, diplomatic and military assistance to the Palestinian people and their resistance movement. Hamas alleged that Washington and the Israeli government were fully responsible for what it called a direct violation of Iran’s sovereignty. It further warned that such an attack could trigger serious consequences for security and stability across the wider Middle East region.
Iranian state media later confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes launched by the US across several parts of the country. The confirmation followed remarks by former US President Donald Trump, who had publicly claimed that the Iranian leader had been killed in the operation. After officially acknowledging his death, Iranian authorities declared a 40-day national mourning period in his honour. Earlier reports had suggested that his body was recovered from a targeted location, although there had initially been no immediate confirmation from Tehran, leading to widespread speculation before the formal announcement was made.
Subsequent media accounts indicated that multiple members of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s family were also killed in the strikes that began early Saturday morning, including his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law. In addition, senior Iranian officials were reported among the casualties. These reportedly included the country’s defence minister and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, marking a significant blow to Iran’s military leadership. The scale of the reported losses has heightened concerns about further escalation in the region, with analysts warning that the incident could dramatically intensify tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States in the coming days.