Iran confirms Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead and declares 40 days of mourning
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابIranian state media confirmed early Sunday, March 1, 2026 that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, a seismic development for Iran’s leadership as U.S.-Israeli strikes hit targets in the country, Reuters reported.
Regional reporting said the announcement was followed by a 40-day national mourning period. Al Jazeera reported that Iranian state TV confirmed Khamenei’s death and declared mourning, while Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the government set 40 days of mourning after what it described as his “martyrdom.
”
Reuters noted Khamenei had led Iran since 1989 and was 86 at the time of his death, while initial statements carried limited detail on the circumstances.
The confirmation comes amid fast-moving regional escalation and retaliatory exchanges, with attention now shifting to how Tehran manages the transition and crisis measures during the mourning period.
