Iran has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint United States and Israeli air strikes, signifying a dramatic escalation in the conflict and prompting the announcement of a 40-day national mourning period.

Iran’s state media confirmed on Sunday that the 86-year-old leader was killed at his office during the strikes, following earlier claims by US and Israeli officials. Initial reports by Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies had suggested he remained in command.

US President Donald Trump earlier wrote on his Truth Social platform that Khamenei had been killed in the coordinated attacks, which began early on Saturday. He described the operation as the result of advanced intelligence and tracking systems and called it a pivotal moment for the Iranian people. Trump added that bombing operations would continue “as long as necessary”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also indicated there were “growing signs” of Khamenei’s death. 

Khamenei had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As supreme leader, he held ultimate authority over the government, armed forces and judiciary, and acted as the country’s highest religious authority.

Saturday’s strikes targeted 24 provinces across Iran, killing at least 201 people, according to Iranian media reports citing the Red Crescent. Among the sites hit were two schools, including the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, where at least 108 people were reported killed. Additional casualties were reported at a school east of Tehran.

Netanyahu said “senior figures” had been eliminated in the wave of attacks, including commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and officials linked to Iran’s nuclear programme. He indicated that operations would continue.

Iran’s counterstrikes triggered air-defence interceptions in several Gulf states hosting US military assets, including Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that further waves of retaliatory strikes were under way.

The assassination of Khamenei introduces significant uncertainty into the unfolding conflict, raising fears of wider regional escalation.

At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Secretary-General António Guterres called for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning that further military action risked igniting uncontrollable events in an already volatile region.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused the US and Israel of launching an unprovoked and premeditated attack on civilian-populated areas, describing the strikes as acts of aggression and crimes against humanity.