Iran's supreme leader Khamenei 'gone' - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Khamenei (Image: Getty)

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are growing signs that Iran's supreme leader is 'gone.' There are growing signs "this dictator" is "gone", Netanyahu says. BBC Verify says it has acquired satellite images captured over Tehran this morning that appear to show major damage to part of the Leadership House complex - the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the capital.

The BBC reports that there has been no communication from the supreme leader today, and there is still no confirmation as to whether he is alive or dead. At this stage, it's unclear what Netanyahu mean by "gone". Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared live on NBC News, as internet access remains down for much of the country. He said Iran "may have lost one or two commanders”, however added that, to the best of his knowledge, the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is alive.

He also said Israel had "eliminated senior officials in the ayatollahs' regime, Revolutionary Guards commanders, senior figures in the nuclear programme," and warned that further action would follow, stating: "In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime."

As of yet there has been no independent confirmation of Khamenei's fate, however Iranian officials have so far rejected the reports, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying the ayatollah was "safe and sound."

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