Khamenei 'dead' UPDATES: Trump claims Iranian leader 'is dead' as strikes rock Middle East

9 mins ago21:43 James Knuckey

Donald Trump says Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead.

In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: "Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."

12 mins ago21:40 James Knuckey

24 mins ago21:28 James Knuckey

An emergency UN Security Council on Iran is underway, with Secretary General António Guterres saying he is "not in a position to confirm" reports that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed.

He said there are "many unconfirmed reports" and that the situation, which he described as a "grave threat to international peace and security", was "very fluid".

He warned: "Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world."

The UN chief also voiced concerns over reports that there have been "significant casualties".

The US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran this morning, followed by retiliation strikes by Tehran on targets across the region.

39 mins ago21:13 James Knuckey

The White House has released images online of Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, chief of staff Susie Wiles and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as they watched the Israel-US strikes on Iran unfold.

The group, which was at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, appeared to be in a makeshift secure room separated by dark blue curtains.

There were large monitors in the room, which Gen Caine was pointing at in one image, and a map in the background that had the words “Operation Epic Fury".

Mr Trump was wearing a white baseball cap that read “USA".

The images appeared to have at least part been partly blurred, particularly the screens on telephones.

The administration also released an image of US Vice President JD Vance monitoring the operation from the Situation Room at the White House.

41 mins ago21:11 James Knuckey

Donald Trump has spoken to Sir Keir Starmer, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

"President Trump just spoke with the leaders of the UK, Kuwait, and Turkey," she wrote on X, without clarifying whether it was individually or as a group.

In a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister earlier condemned Iran’s retaliation following the US-Israeli strikes and urged Tehran to “refrain from indiscriminate military strikes” and “seek a negotiated solution”.

Sir Keir said the UK had not been involved in the strikes, but had subsequently deployed aircraft “as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”.

46 mins ago21:06 James Knuckey

An Israeli military spokesperson says several senior Iranian officials were killed in strikes.

This included the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's defence minister, the head of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s military bureau and the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.

The spokesperson said Israel had struck targets where senior officials were believed to be gathered and would continue strikes in cooperation with the United States.

On social media, the IDF said they had been had been "elimated" during the "opening salvo" of attacks.

There was no mention of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei despite several reports suggesting he has been killed.

57 mins ago20:55 James Knuckey

Donald Trump has suggested the US believes Ayotallah Ali Khamenei has been killed in strikes against Iran.

He said his adminstation believes reports claming the Iranian leader has died in the military action "is a correct story".

Speaking to NBC News, the American President said: "I've spoken to a lot of people beyond and we feel certain, we feel, we feel that that is a correct story."

Read more on his comments here.

1 hour ago20:43 James Knuckey

Donald Trump has said "a lot" of Iran's leadership has gone and that he has a "very good idea" of who could replace them.

"We don’t know all, but a lot of it is," he claimed.

The American president told ABC News that US airstrikes have "done so much damage already".

1 hour ago20:40 James Knuckey

1 hour ago20:39 James Knuckey

A Fox News reporter, citing a US official, claims the US believes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and up to 10 senior Iranian officials were killed in an initial Israeli strike.

His death has still not been confirmed, however an Israeli official, speaking to Reuters, claimed the body of Iran's Supreme Leader has been founded.

Other reports also suggest he has died.

1 hour ago20:36 James Knuckey

Iran was rebuilding infrastructure for its nuclear programme that was destroyed in last year’s strikes, according to a senior US, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said that intelligence also showed that Iran had developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.

Seperately, Reuters reports a senior US official suggested there was signs Iran planned to strike preemptively.

They said Donald Trump was not going to "sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb attacks".

1 hour ago20:33 James Knuckey

Israeli officials have said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead,the Associated Press news agency reports.

Neither Iran nor the US have confirmed.

1 hour ago20:31 James Knuckey

Donald Trump has said the US has a number of "off ramps" as he claimed he could end the conflict with Iran in a matter of days.

In a five-munite call with Axios from Mar-a-Lago, he said: "I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programmes]. In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack."

He said the Iranians "got close and then pulled back" during talks that were held in Geneva last week, adding: “I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal."

1 hour ago20:24 James Knuckey

Aerial footage posted to social media by US Central Command showed American munitions striking what appeared to be a variety of targets from drones to buildings in Iran.

The video montage show black-and-white footage of what appears to be a drone on a runway, a radar tower, a missile battery and a compound of buildings all being struck by what seemed to be bombs or missiles and followed by large explosions.

The footage features the words “unclassified” at the top of the screen and a targeting reticle in the middle.

CENTCOM didn’t provide more details about the video, but said that it was “delivering an overwhelming and unrelenting blow” in a caption that accompanied the post.

2 hours ago20:22 James Knuckey

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989.

The 86-year-old is the most powerful man in Iran as head of state and commander-in-chief of its military.

He is also in charge of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) paramilitary.

Reports of his death remain unconfirmed at this stage.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Image: Getty)

2 hours ago20:15 James Knuckey

People are cheering and celebrating in different areas of the Iranian capital Tehran amid reports Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, it has been claimed.

Sources, speaking to BBC Persian, say people are honking horns and screaming in celebration, the BBC reports.

2 hours ago20:11 James Knuckey

2 hours ago20:08 James Knuckey

Amid growing reports Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, let's remind ourselves of what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

He earlier said there were "growing signs" the Supreme Leader is "no longer alive".

These latest reports are uncofirmed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously told NBC News that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive “as far as I know".

2 hours ago20:04 James Knuckey

N12 News in Israel is now also reporting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed.

"Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei - has been eliminated," a senior Israeli official reportedly said. 

Documentation of the Supreme Leader's body has been presented to Benjamin Netanyahu and senior security officials, it reports.

2 hours ago19:56 James Knuckey

London-based Iran International reports Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed in the airstrikes.

This has not been confirmed but comes after Channel 12 in Israel, citing a source said he is "almost certainly dead".

2 hours ago19:51 Charlie Bradley

Khamenei's residence in Tehran was destroyed in a strike earlier today.

The property was reportedly targeted with 30 bunker buster bombs

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2 hours ago19:49 Charlie Bradley

Iran has responded to the claims, but has not denied Khamenei is dead.

Tehran said the enemy is resorting to "mental warfare."

2 hours ago19:42 Charlie Bradley