Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s reported elimination remains unconfirmed, and the strongest verified takeaway is that Israeli assessments and Iranian public statements are in direct conflict as the first day of the US-Israeli strike campaign against Iran unfolds.
Israeli-linked reporting cited says defense officials believe the targeted strike on Khamenei’s compound was successful, with a preliminary battle-damage assessment putting his probability of survival at “extremely low” and noting he has been absent from verified communications for several hours.
The Jerusalem Post, citing Israeli sources, says Khamenei was cut off from contact and that there is “no certainty” about his fate, with the preliminary Israeli view there describing him as likely hurt rather than definitively confirmed dead.
The clearest counterpoint came from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said in an NBC interview that Khamenei is alive “as far as I know.” Araghchi added that “almost all officials are safe and sound and alive” and said Iran may have lost “one or two commanders.”
Reuters said a source told it Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location, a detail that materially clashes with claims that a strike on his Tehran compound had already almost certainly killed him.
What is verified so far is the broader military escalation. Israel said it launched a pre-emptive strike on Saturday, and that the operation was coordinated with the US after months of planning. Separate reporting says the US and Israel carried out strikes targeting Iran’s top leadership and strategic infrastructure, turning the confrontation into a direct regional war.
A much wider strike package is also described reaching Tehran, Isfahan, Natanz, Fordow, Parchin, Qom, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Shiraz, Zahedan, and Khoy, alongside reported attacks on military, nuclear, missile, and command targets.
Iran’s retaliation is also no longer in dispute. Reuters reports missile attacks on Israel and on Gulf states hosting US forces, including confirmed impacts and at least one death in Abu Dhabi.
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