U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, saying he was killed during joint United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran on Saturday.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Khamenei, who was 86 and had led Iran since 1989, was killed in the attacks and called it “justice” and a major opportunity for the Iranian people.

Israeli officials have supported the claim, with some saying Khamenei’s body has been located, but Iranian state media deny the reports, saying he remains “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.

The strikes, which opened a major new chapter in the long-standing conflict between Iran and its adversaries, also targeted other Iranian military and government sites. Iran has responded with its own missile attacks in the region, and casualties continue to mount.

This development marks a significant escalation in Middle East tensions and its full implications are still unfolding.