Face of the Day

When he appeared in public for the first time in five years in October 2024, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had an uncompromising message: Israel “won’t last long”, he told tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran in a Friday sermon.

“We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith,” the then-84-year-old told the gathering.

Seventeen months later, Khamenei faced his final climactic confrontation after decades of bitter struggle against multiple enemies.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that there were many signs indicating Khamenei “is no longer with us”, without explicitly confirming his death. Hours later, after Donald Trump also claimed Khamenei had been killed, it was confirmed by Iranian state media.

It is very clear that the supreme leader was in the crosshairs from the earliest moments of Saturday’s strikes, with satellite imagery showing that his secure compound was heavily damaged in the initial barrage.

The Guardian