Reports of Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei targeted by US and Israeli forces

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly suffered injuries in a joint US-Israeli operation on Saturday, according to Israeli media reports and a senior Israeli official. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that there were indications of Khamenei’s involvement in the strikes.

The location of Khamenei’s body has been confirmed by Reuters, citing a senior Israeli official. However, Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr reported that Khamenei remained “steadfast and firm” despite the claims.

In response to the reports, a spokesperson for Khamenei’s office stated that Iran’s enemies were engaging in “mental warfare”. The spokesperson warned that all should be aware of this tactic.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that he believed reports of Khamenei’s death were accurate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also stated that as far as he knew, the Supreme Leader and other top officials remained in good health.

The joint US-Israeli operation targeted 24 provinces, resulting in at least 201 fatalities, according to Iranian media reports citing the Red Crescent. Iran responded with a wave of counterattacks targeting Israel and US military assets across the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that many senior figures had been eliminated during the strikes targeting senior leaders. He also claimed that Israel had targeted commanders in the Revolutionary Guards and senior officials in the nuclear programme.

Source: Al Jazeera