US and Israel reportedly discuss potential assassination of Iranian leader Khamenei

US and Israeli Air Strikes Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

A US and Israeli air strike on Saturday morning targeted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, who has led the country since 1981. The strikes also killed several senior military officials, including those from the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Khamenei was a key figure in the Islamic revolution that overthrew the Iranian monarchy in 1979 and served as president before becoming supreme leader following the death of revolutionary leader Rohollah Khomeini in 1989. His reign was marked by mass protests, human rights violations, and economic hardship.

According to reports, the CIA shared location intelligence with Israel about a Saturday morning meeting at Khamenei’s central Tehran location that would include him and senior military officials. The US President Donald Trump stated that Khamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems” in his Truth Social statement.

The strikes took place at around 9:40am in Tehran, targeting the central location where Khamenei’s offices and residence are located. At least 165 schoolgirls and staff were killed in a strike on a school in southern Minab city on Saturday.

As of Monday, 787 people had been confirmed killed across the country, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had gathered information about Khamenei’s location for months, including before the 12-day war last June when six Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated.

It is unclear how the CIA obtained this information or why senior military leaders decided to gather in a predictable location while threats of a US-Israel attack were imminent. Israel has long recruited covert operatives in Iran and was watching Khamenei’s circle for years, gathering information on mundane activities such as food purchases.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that the strikes also killed several senior military officials from the IRGC. The incident marks a significant development in the ongoing tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera