Trump Orders Joint U.S.-Israeli Strike Killing Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei

President Trump authorized a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026. Trump announced Khamenei's death on Truth Social, calling him "one of the most evil people in history" and describing it as "the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country." The strikes, part of what was described as a regime change operation, targeted hundreds of Iranian military and governmental installations around Tehran. Iranian state media initially denied Khamenei's death before confirming it on March 1. The assassination marked a dramatic escalation in Middle East hostilities and triggered an Iranian Supreme Leader succession crisis, with Trump publicly attempting to influence the selection of Khamenei's replacement. The operation raised serious questions about Congressional notification, War Powers Act compliance, and international law regarding the assassination of foreign heads of state.

"one of the most evil people in history... the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country" — Trump's Truth Social announcement of Khamenei's death, framing the assassination as liberation for the Iranian people