Khamenei and Seven Senior Iranian Officials Killed in US-Israel Strike
Iran’s judicial authority confirmed on Sunday that an operation launched by the United States and America and Israel has killed the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and several senior Iranian security officials, according to Agence France-Presse.
Based on a report from Mizan, the official news portal of Iran’s judicial authority, published on Sunday (1 March 2026), IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour and Ali Shamkhani, who served as Secretary of Iran’s Defence Council, were killed in the strike that occurred on Saturday.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East reached their highest point of escalation following a large-scale military operation launched by the United States and Israel against several strategic facilities in Iran on Saturday (28 February 2026) local time.
US President Donald Trump stated via social media that the military operation also killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at his residence complex in Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed that the main complex in Tehran had been destroyed through a coordinated surprise strike designed to cripple domestic defences.
Iranian authorities subsequently issued an official confirmation of Khamenei’s death. Iranian state media reported that the country would observe a 40-day national mourning period.
The following is a list of senior officials reported killed to date, drawn from various sources including Iran’s supreme leader:
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour
Secretary of Iran’s Defence Council, Ali Shamkhani
Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh
Iranian Intelligence Official, Saleh Asadi
Iranian Research Official, Hossein Jabal Amelian
Iranian Research Official, Reza Mozaffari-Nia
Senior Iranian Defence Liaison, Mohammed Shirazi