Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Is Dead? Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Claims Citing Reports

A large US-Israeli assault has hit military locations across Iran, and now Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is claiming Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be dead, saying there are "many signs" of this, even though Israel has not produced any supporting proof so far.

The comments came after the joint strikes, which hit sites in and around Tehran and other key security areas. Iranian officials have not shown Khamenei in public since the attacks began, adding to rumours, but Tehran has officially rejected the suggestion that the Supreme Leader has been killed.

Netanyahu Iran Khamenei claims and conflicting statements

Netanyahu said Israeli forces aimed at a location linked directly to the top Iranian leadership. Netanyahu stated: "Today we have killed several major leaders that are involved in the nuclear program of Iran and we will continue to target several sites of this regime. We have targeted the site where Khamenei was."

Netanyahu added that there were "many signs" that Khamenei "may no longer be alive," yet Israeli authorities have offered no satellite images, intercepted messages, or other intelligence to support this. Officials in Israel also have not provided video or photographs that might show what happened inside the targeted compound.

Netanyahu Iran Khamenei response from Iranian officials

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back against Netanyahu's suggestion in an interview with NBC News. Araghchi insisted that both the Supreme Leader and Iran's president remained alive, saying Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive "as far as I know," directly rejecting the claim made by the Israeli leader.

Despite those remarks, Tehran has yet to release fresh footage of Khamenei since the strikes. That absence has fuelled questions abroad about the 86-year-old leader's status, though there is still no independent confirmation that the compound hit by Israel was occupied by Khamenei at the time.

Netanyahu Iran Khamenei strike on reported compound

Israel's Channel 12 reported that around 30 bombs fell on a complex tied to Khamenei. Senior journalist Amit Segal, known in Israel for close coverage of Netanyahu, said Khamenei was thought to be underground then, though "probably not in his own bunker." Channel 12 did not name any intelligence or military source for these details.

Reports from Tehran described smoke plumes and blasts near the Intelligence Ministry and other highly guarded zones. Witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press said Iran's air defence batteries were firing across the capital as missiles and drones approached, with sirens sounding in several neighbourhoods during the first hours.

Netanyahu Iran Khamenei operation scale and military details

The US Central Command labelled the joint offensive "Epic Fury". American officials said the operation used precision weapons launched from air, land and sea, hitting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command centres, missile and drone launch locations, air defence systems, and several military airfields spread across Iran.

The Israeli military reported that about 200 fighter jets took part in the opening wave, striking close to 500 targets. The air force described it as the biggest mass flight in its history. According to the US military, there were no American casualties roughly 12 hours after the clashes started, despite what Washington called hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones launched in response.

Available information from both sides still leaves major questions about Khamenei's fate and damage inside key command sites. Netanyahu's comments, Iran's firm denial, and the scale of the "Epic Fury" operation together show how quickly the confrontation has grown, even as verified details from inside Iran remain limited.