Iran has entered a period of extreme political crisis following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli operation. The state news agency, IRNA, confirmed that the Supreme Leader was martyred at his place of work early Sunday morning.
The deaths of his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson have also been confirmed.
While Western media had long claimed the Supreme Leader resided in a secret, secure location, his death at his workplace has disproven those assertions.
According to a report by the New York Times, the assassination was the result of close intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel. Sources familiar with the operation stated that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had monitored Khamenei’s movements and habits for several months.
The CIA reportedly identified a scheduled meeting of top Iranian officials at a complex in central Tehran for Saturday morning, which Khamenei was expected to attend. This complex houses the offices of the Iranian President, the Supreme Leader, and the National Security Council.
Upon receiving this intelligence, US and Israeli forces altered their original plan for a night-time raid, moving the strike to Saturday morning to capitalise on the high-level gathering.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the CIA provided “highly accurate” information to Israel regarding precise location of Khamenei.
The precision of the operation reflects deep coordination between the two allies, particularly following a 12-day conflict last year, which allowed them to gather detailed intelligence on the Iranian leadership and the movements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The operation also targeted locations housing key intelligence officials. While the strikes were described as a “strategic surprise” by an Israeli defence official, it was noted that a top Iranian intelligence official managed to escape.
Former US officials pointed out that the intelligence network utilised for this operation was the same one mentioned by President Donald Trump in June, during plans to target Iranian nuclear facilities.
The success of the strike has highlighted perceived lapses in security among Iran’s top leadership despite clear signals of war preparations.
The Israeli Air Force reportedly deployed over 1,200 bombs and munitions within a single day during the joint operation.
However, the offensive has resulted in significant civilian casualties. Al Jazeera reported that a primary girls’ school in the city of Minab, located in the southern Hormozgan province, was among the targets. At least 148 people were killed at the school, with many others injured.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike on the school, stating that “dozens of innocent children” were killed. He warned that “this attack will certainly be answered”.
The White House and the CIA have declined to comment on the operation.
