Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in a large-scale joint aerial assault by Israel and the United States, according to Iranian state media and the American president. The strike targeted military and government sites and marks a dramatic escalation in the long-running confrontation over Iran's nuclear program. President Donald Trump said the bombing would continue as long as necessary and described the moment as Iran's 'greatest chance' to reclaim its future.

Khamenei's death leaves a significant power vacuum in Iran, where he held ultimate authority over major state decisions for decades. Iranian law has triggered the formation of an interim governing council made up of the president, the judiciary chief and a senior cleric, while the Assembly of Experts is required to choose a new supreme leader as soon as possible. Senior security figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard, were also reported killed in the strikes.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard vowed a severe retaliatory campaign against Israel and American bases, raising fears of wider regional conflict. Foreign governments began preparing evacuations of their citizens, and demonstrations erupted in Tehran. The developments have deepened uncertainty across the Middle East and heightened concerns about broader instability.