3 min readMar 1, 2026 12:41 PM IST
First published on: Mar 1, 2026 at 12:15 PM IST
The biggest blow came to Iran Sunday morning when Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after a massive US-Israeli airstrike on the country, which the US President Donald Trump says will continue throughout the week.
State media presenter was seen breaking down on national television while announcing the news of Khamenei’s death.
Trump also shared the news on Truth Social, saying, “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.”
Senior officials killed in US-Israel attacks
While the death of Khamenei is expected to bring a major shift in the world order and leave the door of fate open for Iran, reports say that many senior Iranian officials were also killed in the operation.
Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces was killed in strikes on Iran, Iranian state media confirmed. The country’s defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was also killed, Tasnim reported.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA confirmed the deaths of two high-level military, including, Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Defense Council; and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Both were killed in attacks on Saturday in Tehran, the news agency said.
The Israel Defence Ministry also announced death of seven senior officials of the Iranian defense leadership. Those killed include, Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Pakpour, Saleh Asadi, Mohammad Shirazi, Aziz Nasirzadeh, Hossein Jabal Amelian, Reza Mozaffari-Nia.
In a post on X, the official handle of Israeli Air Force announced the death, saying, “The world is a better place without them.”
Mohammad Pakpour was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the IRGC after his predecessor was killed during the 12-day Iran-Israel war back in June 2025. He was previously the commander of the IRGC’s Ground Forces, according to The New York Times.
Shamkhani, who was also a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, was injured during the 12-day war.
Khamenei’s family was also killed, with state media reporting that his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild were also killed in the attacks.
To protest against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing, Alipur residents carried out a march wearing black dresses on Sunday. (File Photo) 
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