Iran’s state media have confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic since 1989, is dead at age 86 following a major military strike. Officials announced a 40-day period of national mourning after the attack that struck leadership buildings in Tehran.

According to Iranian state television, the strike killed Khamenei at his office, and Iran’s highest authorities have begun the process of naming an interim governing council.

Israeli and U.S. officials previously indicated that coordinated precision operations targeted senior figures in Iran’s leadership structure, aiming to disrupt decision-making linked to destabilizing regional activity. These strikes followed intelligence assessments and were described by allied officials as necessary to reduce threats posed by Tehran’s military posture.

International reactions have varied, with European leaders calling for calm and urging diplomatic engagement to prevent wider escalation, and Iran’s new interim authorities condemning the strikes and warning of future retaliatory actions.

The death of Ayatollah Khamenei marks a major shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics after more than three decades of his leadership, which saw Iran expand its influence through regional alliances and military support to proxy groups.