|By Adejumo Adekunle
President Donald Trump has declared that Iran has “lost its whole military leadership” following coordinated bombardments by the United States and Israel, as reports from Iranian media claim that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed.
The escalation marks a dramatic turning point in the conflict, with both Washington and Tel Aviv intensifying strikes on strategic Iranian targets.
Iranian state-affiliated media confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died after his residence was hit in a strike on Saturday. The reports added that his daughter, grandchild, son-in-law and daughter-in-law were also killed in the attack.
The Israeli military announced that multiple senior Iranian officials were eliminated during the operation. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), those killed include Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Khamenei; General Mohammad Pakpour, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and several other high-ranking security chiefs.
In a statement posted on X, the IDF said it had “eliminated” Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics; Mohammad Shirazi, Chief of the Military Bureau of the Supreme Leader; Ali Shamkhani, the Supreme Leader’s Adviser for Security Affairs and Secretary of the Defense Council; Hossein Jabal Amelian, Chairman of SPND; Reza Mozafari-Nia, former Chairman of SPND; Salah Asadi, Head of Intelligence of the Khatem Alanbieh Command; and Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Trump, speaking to the Daily Mail, predicted that the conflict could last “about four weeks,” signaling that hostilities may intensify before any resolution emerges.
“An Iranian government that has long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a great danger to every American,” Trump said.
He insisted that Washington would not allow Tehran to strengthen its military capabilities or empower armed groups across the region.
“We can’t let a country that builds terrorist groups have weapons strong enough to force the world to follow their bad plans. That’s not going to happen,” he added.
Trump further claimed that Iran’s military structure had collapsed under sustained airstrikes.
“Iran’s whole military leadership is gone,” he said, adding that “a lot of them want to surrender.”
“They want immunity. They’re calling by the thousands,” Trump stated.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with global leaders urging restraint to prevent a broader regional war.
