Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday (local time) that there are many signs that Israel and the United States killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the strikes earlier in the day. In a televised address, Netanyahu called on Iranians to “take to the streets and finish the job.”
“This morning, in a powerful surprise strike, the compound of the tyrant Ali Khamenei was destroyed in the heart of Tehran… and there are many signs that this tyrant is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement, as per international news agencies.
Netanyahu did not explicitly confirm Khamenei’s death and did not add more details. No other source from Iran or elsewhere has said on this. LiveMint could not verify Netanyahu’s claim.
The Israeli PM said Khamenei’s compound had been destroyed, and Revolutionary Guard commanders and senior nuclear officials had been destroyed during the strikes.
Iran has so far maintained that its supreme leader is alive. Earlier in the day, Iran’s Al-Alam television said Khamenei would speak, but no such speech was aired by late on Saturday.
Khamenei’s son-in-law, daughter-in-law were killed?
There were also some reports that Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law were killed in strikes. The reports quoted an unnamed member of Tehran City Council, but there was no official word on this, either.
Earlier in the day, the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran, and President Donald Trump urged the Iranian public to ‘seize control of your destiny’ by rising up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.
Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, on Saturday evening said at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 injured. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and US military bases in the Gulf region, inviting criticism from Muslim world.
Trump also called on Iranian security forces to lay down their weapons and invited Iranians to topple their government once the bombing ended.
Take to the streets and finish the job.
Tehran called the strikes, which began in the morning hours and hit targets in different areas of the country, unprovoked and illegal. In cities across Iran, explosions caused widespread panic. Residents rushed to collect children from school and flee areas that might be targeted.
(With inputs from Reuters)
