Overview
- The U.S.-Israeli airstrike that killed longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei occurred on Feb. 28, 2026, and Iranian state media later confirmed his death.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was in Khamenei’s office when the building was hit and that he emerged from the rubble, providing the first detailed eyewitness account of the attack.
- The Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader after his father’s death, but Mojtaba has not made public appearances, is reported wounded, and has relayed messages only through written statements read by state media.
- Senior U.S. officials including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said Mojtaba is involved in regime affairs even as practical power appears to rest with an informal committee of IRGC commanders and a few top politicians.
- A ceasefire declared on April 8, 2026, remains fragile and the opaque leadership picture could affect negotiations, regional shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and the daily lives of Iranians as authorities manage security and public messaging.