Israel has claimed Iran’s supreme leader ‘no longer exists’ while the regime claimed he is ‘alive’ – rumours have swirled about the welfare of several key Iranian officials
Reports from the Middle East have claimed two top Iranian leaders were killed in a series of attacks launched by the US and Israel today.
Chaos and fear were sparked across the region when explosions were heard in Tehran and other Iranian cities this morning – in an operation dubbed Epic Fury by the US government. Iran has launched retaliation strikes on Israel and several countries across the Middle East, many home to US military bases, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Sources have claimed the US and Israeli attacks have killed two key senior figures in the Iranian regime. Questions were also raised around the state and wellbeing of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as satellite images revealed damage from a strike on his compound.
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Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech this evening, dubbed Khamenei a “tyrant” and claimed he “no longer exists”. He also said “all indications show this tyrant is no longer with us”.
The supreme leader was due to give a speech on Saturday evening but he is yet to be publicly heard from. Despite this, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was “alive” as far as he is aware.
The minister, speaking to NBC News earlier, said Iran “may have lost one or two commanders” but denied the supreme leader had been killed. A spokesperson from Iran’s foreign ministry, speaking to Sky News, said: “They are all safe and sound.
“Yes, we have had some more some commanders who have been martyred as the result of this terrorist act of aggression. But what matters is that the Iranian nation, our armed forces, our brave armed forces are taking necessary measures to defend Iran in the most strongest way possible.”
Images showed that at least four buildings were struck at the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, but it appears the supreme leader was moved ahead of the unprecedented morning attack. Rumours that Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and the Revolutionary Guard’s commander Mohammed Pakpour were killed in today’s strikes have also swirled across the region.
It is not clear which officials have been killed or injured in these series of strikes and it is not clear if the attack has come to an end. Netanyahu, in his speech this evening, told the people of Iran they had a “once in a generation chance” to overthrow the regime.
He said: “This is an opportunity to do something. Do not sit with your arms crossed, because this moment will come and you will be demanded to go out of the streets in the masses, because you have to complete this work, and you have to bring down and eradicate this regime.”
