Khamenei’s death

March 3, 2026

Abhishek Vij

Iran’s Supreme leader and Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in a joint US-Israeli attack. Along with Khamenei, Iranian Army Chief of Staff Abdul Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Major General Aziz Nasirzadeh were also killed in the rapid bombing by Israel and the US.

Earlier, the death of General Mohammad Pakpo, head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, and several senior commanders was also confirmed. 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was Iran’s Shia cleric, holding the position of Supreme Leader since 1989. According to reports, Iran’s top leadership is virtually gone.

For decades, the US and Israel have had a common goal: the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei. Finally, their objective was accomplished. The US and Israel launched the joint military operation “Lion’s Roar” on Saturday. The very next day, they succeeded in killing Khamenei, who was safely housed in a safe house. Along with the Shia cleric, his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were also killed. Oman had offered to mediate in the conflict and initiated talks, but after the talks failed, the attacks intensified. Iran threatened to take horrific revenge for Khamenei’s death, to which Trump responded, saying, “We will deliver a response never seen or heard in history.”

The question facing the world is: how did the US and Israel succeed in killing us? The Shia cleric had already anticipated the attack, and had announced his successor two years earlier. The answer is that the US intelligence agency, the CIA, had been monitoring Khamenei’s activities and patterns for months. On Saturday morning, it learned of Khamenei’s participation in a secret meeting. This is where the US and Israel began preparing for the final assault.

For now, Alireza Arafi has been appointed as Iran’s new provisional Supreme Leader, replacing Khamenei. Ahmad Vahadi has been appointed the new head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

On the other hand, after Khamenei’s death, people in Pakistan and some other Islamic countries took to the streets to protest against the US. People attacked the US Embassy in Karachi, Pakistan, and opened fire to disperse them, killing 10 people. In India, mourning the death of the Shia cleric was observed in some cities. Meanwhile, the war has intensified. Iran has also heavily bombed Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. All the countries mentioned above have announced a strong response.

Reactions to the entire incident have been varied across the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned Khamenei’s death. North Korea has accused the US and Israel of violating Iran’s sovereignty. Experts have expressed concern that a US-Iran war will disrupt the global supply chain. As a result, the prices of crude oil and other essential minerals may rise. Whatever the reasons for war, humanity is the one that suffers.