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Israeli officials say Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei believed dead in strikes

Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP
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Published 1:47 PM

ByJon Haworth, Jack Moore, and Nadine El-Bawab

Last Updated: February 28, 2026, 1:42 PM MST

Multiple Israeli officials tell ABC News that Israel has determined that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran earlier Saturday. U.S. officials have been informed by the Israelis but have not independently confirmed that, according to two U.S. officials.

Earlier Saturday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied reports that Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were killed in the strikes, saying they are "safe and sound," in an interview on ABC News Live.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 17, 2026.Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

-ABC News' Jordana Miller, Dana Savid, John Santucci, Anne Flaherty, Shannon Kingston and Luke Barr

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