Ayatollah Khamenei is dead, Iranians must take back their country: Trump

US President Donald Trump announced the death of the Iranian leader, but cautioned that the bombing of Iran would continue through the week, perhaps even longer

United States President Donald Trump early on Sunday said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead, calling it justice "not only ... for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."

 

He once again called upon the people of Iran to take back control of their country from the Islamic regime. 

 

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote Khamenei "was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country." 

 

This was the first confirmation of Khamenei's death from the highest seat of government of Israel or the US, both of whom coordinated a Saturday morning blitzkrieg that flattened Khamenei's official residence, and a wide array of targets across Iran, including Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command facilities, air defence capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. 

 

Trump, however, cautioned that the bombing campaign would continue uninterrupted "throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD."

 

As he had in his video address earlier in the day, Trump once again called upon IRGC, military, and police personnel to surrender in exchange for immunity. "We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us," he wrote, adding "As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!' Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves." 

 

Earlier, a Reuters report had attributed news of Khamenei's death to a senior Israeli official, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said it was likely that Khamenei was "no longer around". 

 

While Trump's announcement of Khamenei's death is the most authoritative so far, Iranian officials have not responded to his claim. Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive "as far as I know." Later, Iranian state news agencies had said that Khamenei was alive and "'steadfast and firm in commanding the field". 

 

Israel earlier said it had eliminated the country's defence minister Amir Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammed Pakpour in the strikes.