Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, has been killed during the first day of extensive air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets, according to the BBC.
Khamenei, who held one of the most powerful positions in the Islamic Republic, served as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards.
Iran has had only two supreme leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In 1989, Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini following his death at the age of 86.
During his decades-long rule, Iran expanded its regional and international outreach, strengthening economic ties with African nations, engaging Shiite communities in Nigeria, and joining the Brics economic bloc alongside countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia and Egypt.
For many young Iranians, Khamenei’s leadership defined their entire lives, having never known a different figure at the helm of the Islamic Republic.
Further details are expected as the situation develops.
