Iran Declares 40-Day Mourning Period, Says Supreme Leader Khamenei's Death Will Spark Major Intifada

Iran’s government has announced a 40-day national mourning period and a seven-day closure of government offices.

The Supreme National Security Council stated that “the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be the starting point for a major intifada against the tyrants of the world,” according to statements cited by Al Jazeera on Sunday 1 March 2026.

The council confirmed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s martyrdom on Sunday 1 March 2026, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Fars News Agency stated that Khamenei was martyred on Saturday morning 1 March 2026 whilst directing resistance operations from his office and leading jihad.

According to reports citing sources close to Iran’s Supreme Leader’s office, Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and daughter-in-law were also killed in the attack.

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an attack targeting Iran on Saturday, although Iran has made no official comment on the matter to date.

Trump stated that Khamenei’s death was not only just for the Iranian people, but also for all Americans. “Iran’s Supreme Leader could not escape the American intelligence agency and its highly sophisticated tracking system,” he said, citing Al Jazeera on Sunday 1 March 2026.

He continued that Khamenei and the leaders killed alongside him could not do anything, and suggested that this represented the greatest opportunity for the Iranian people to reclaim their homeland.

Regarding the continuation of military operations against Iran, Trump stated that intensive and accurate bombing would continue unabated throughout the week or as long as necessary.