close
Sunday, March 1, 2026

‘There are many signs Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead,’ Netanyahu says

The Israeli prime minister said Israel, in collaboration with the U.S., coordinated the bombing of Iran on Saturday.

• February 28, 2026
Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Credit: CNN)
Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Credit: CNN)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that “there are many signs” that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in a barrage of airstrikes targeted at his residence earlier on Saturday.

“There are many signs that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei is no longer alive,” Mr Netanyahu said in a video statement.

The Israeli prime minister said Israel, in collaboration with the U.S., coordinated the bombing of Iran on Saturday.

Though Mr Khamenei’s death has not been officially confirmed, his whereabouts are unknown. However, if confirmed, this would end his reign of over three decades in Iran.

Earlier, local media announced Mr Khamenei, 86, would speak in a live broadcast. But hours later, the supreme leader has yet to make a public appearance that could prove he is alive.

So far, two top Iranian government officials, Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour, have been reported dead in Saturday’s airstrikes coordinated by the U.S. and Israel.

Details of how many top Iranian officials have been killed in the joint strike carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces on Saturday are still unknown.

In retaliation, Iran launched several missiles at countries in the Middle East, where there are U.S. bases.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Donald Trump, Ali Khamenei and Kamala Harris

World

Iran: Trump dragging U.S. into war American people don’t want, says Kamala Harris 

She accused Mr Trump of reneging on his campaign promise to end foreign wars.

Tomatoes

Agriculture

Tomato farmers seek govt’s support to reduce post-harvest losses in Kaduna, Kano

Sani Ali, a farmer from Bunkure, emphasised the urgency of addressing the storage issue.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

World

UN chief responds to killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Mr Khamenei was killed Saturday after the U.S. and Israel launched a pre-dawn assault on the country.

Dubai International Airport

World

Four injured after Iranian missile hits Dubai International Airport

The strikes by the U.S. and Israel have seen Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top members of his regime dead.

Donald Trump and Marco Rubio

Heading 2

Photos: Trump, Marco Rubio, other U.S. officials monitor military operations in Iran

Images posted by the White House, Mr Trump and a team of officials closely monitoring the military action tagged “Operation Epic Fury.”