By Dorothy Musyoka
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since 1989, was confirmed dead following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel, Iranian state media announced.
According to the sources, the government declared a 40-day period of national mourning, and public life across the country is now in flux as the nation grapples with the sudden loss of its most powerful figure.
“On March 1, multiple Iranian media outlets confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The Iranian government announced a 40-day period of national mourning,” stated the sources.
According to Iranian official broadcasts, Khamenei, 86, was killed during the intense barrage of air and missile strikes that began Saturday, which also targeted other senior Iranian officials and military installations.
Tehran describes the attack as an unjustified act of aggression, while U.S. and Israeli leaders have framed it as part of a broader operation aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities and curbing its regional influence.
The death of Khamenei a key architect of Iran’s political, religious, and military systems for more than three decades marks a moment of deep uncertainty for the Islamic Republic.
Tehran’s Assembly of Experts, a body of senior clerics, is expected to convene to nominate a successor, but the process could be fraught amid continuing conflict and internal divisions.
In the midst of the crisis, Iran’s domestic football league has been suspended indefinitely, Iranian officials confirmed, as the country shifts its focus to national security and mourning.
Some Gulf States and regional powers have condemned the strikes, while others have called for immediate de-escalation to avoid further civilian casualties and prevent a wider regional war.
The upheaval has also affected civilian travel. Earlier reports from major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines indicated that carriers were adjusting ticketing policies for flights to and from Middle Eastern destinations, allowing passengers free changes amid rising concerns over safety and stability in the region.