Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a precise and extensive air operation by the Israeli Air Force, which struck his command complex in central Tehran. Several senior regime officials were also killed in the strike.

The Iranian regime officially confirmed the Supreme Leader's death and declared 40-day national mourning. State television interrupted its regular programming and broadcast religious content and military music. According to sources, reactions among the Iranian public were divided — some citizens greeted the news with celebrations.

During the transitional period, until the Assembly of Experts appoints a new Supreme Leader, Iran will be governed by a three-member council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and one member of the Guardian Council.

The Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 influential religious figures, is responsible for naming Khamenei's successor. Among the most frequently mentioned candidates is Mojtaba Khamenei — the late leader's second son, who wields influence in the circles of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but holds no formal clerical rank. Another potential successor is Alireza Arafi, a highly respected cleric with long-standing government experience and high trust among the religious establishment.

President Pezeshkian stated that retaliation is "a duty that will be fulfilled," and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that reciprocal measures are being prepared. The Israeli army described Khamenei as "the head of the Iranian octopus, whose tentacles stretch across the entire Middle East to Israel's borders."