Iran's Revolutionary Guards Promise to Avenge Khamenei's Death with Decisive Force
TEHERAN — Iranian state television announced the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hours after US President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader and suggested there were good candidates to replace Khamenei.
A commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told the Fars news agency that the killing of Iranian leaders would have no impact whatsoever on the course of the current conflict. He explained that Iran’s regime structure was designed in such a way as to enable the immediate appointment of competent individuals following the death of one of its leaders.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps promises to avenge the murderers of Khamenei in a decisive and firm manner,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency on Sunday (1 March 2026), according to Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, American broadcaster CBS News cited unnamed intelligence and military sources stating that approximately 40 Iranian officials have been killed in ongoing American and Israeli attacks on Iran since Saturday morning.
The Supreme National Security Council confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday (1 March 2026), according to Al Jazeera. Fars News Agency stated that Khamenei was killed on Saturday (1 March 2026) morning while conducting resistance operations from his office and leading jihad.
Earlier, the news agency cited sources close to Iran’s Supreme Leader’s office reporting that the Supreme Leader’s daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and his son’s wife were killed in the attack. However, Fars also subsequently denied reports of the Supreme Leader’s death.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in an attack targeting Iran on Saturday, without any official comment from Iran at that time.
Trump stated that Khamenei’s death was not only just for the Iranian people, but also for all great American citizens. “Iran’s Supreme Leader cannot escape American intelligence agencies and our very sophisticated tracking systems,” he said, according to Al Jazeera on Sunday (1 March 2026).
He continued that Khamenei and the leaders who died with 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 relentlessly throughout the week or for as long as necessary.