Netanyahu claims Iran's Khamenei may be dead after strikes, urges regime change

2026-02-28 - 20:52

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Saturday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may have been killed in joint US-Israeli strikes targeting his residence in Tehran. "This morning, in a powerful surprise attack, we destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei," Netanyahu said in a video statement, without providing evidence. "There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer." Wider Claims Netanyahu alleged senior Iranian figures in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nuclear program had been "eliminated" in the strikes. "We will continue. In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime," he said. The premier also urged Iranians to "go to the streets to... topple this regime." Escalating Conflict The US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran early Saturday, claiming they aimed to remove "threats" posed by Tehran. In response, Iran targeted Israel and US bases in the region with missiles and drones. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's strikes "do not target specific countries but are limited to military sites." The escalation follows weeks of nuclear negotiations under Omani mediation and threatens to plunge the region into wider war.