Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died following a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early on Sunday (March 1, 2026). President Donald Trump previously announced the death, saying it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency did not report a cause of death for the 86-year-old. The assassination put the future of the Islamic Republic in doubt and raised the risk of regional instability.