By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi

Iran has officially confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following coordinated strikes on Tehran attributed to the United States and Israel.

The announcement was made in a solemn statement issued by the Supreme National Security Council and widely broadcast across Iranian state media on Saturday.

According to the statement, Khamenei was killed in his office in the early hours of the morning during the strikes.

State television channels interrupted regular programming to relay the development, with one presenter visibly emotional as she informed viewers that the nation would observe 40 days of mourning in honour of the late leader.

The declaration signals the beginning of an official period of national grief across the Islamic Republic.

Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the region.

Over more than three decades in power, he exercised ultimate authority over the country’s political, military and religious institutions, shaping Iran’s domestic and foreign policy direction.

In the wake of his death, the Assembly of Experts — the clerical body constitutionally mandated to appoint and oversee the Supreme Leader — is expected to convene urgently to select a successor.

The transition comes at a moment of heightened regional tension, with analysts warning of potentially far-reaching geopolitical consequences.

The confirmation of Khamenei’s death marks a pivotal moment in Iran’s modern history and introduces a new phase of uncertainty in an already volatile Middle East landscape.