Iran declares 40 days mourning over killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei

Iran’s government has announced a 40-day national mourning period after state media confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s paramount leader since 1989.

Iranian state television and official outlets, including Press TV, Tasnim, and Fars, reported Khamenei was “martyred” in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that targeted key military and government sites across the country, including in Tehran. The announcement described the 86-year-old cleric as having fallen in a “joint attack by the criminal United States and the Zionist regime.”

The Iranian cabinet has also declared seven days of public holidays in honor of Khamenei, who led Iran’s theocratic system for nearly four decades and was a central figure in its opposition to the U.S. and Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier confirmed Khamenei’s death on Truth Social, calling him “one of the most evil people in History” and stating the strikes—part of a major operation—would continue as needed. Israeli sources also reported the supreme leader’s death in an airstrike on his compound.

The killing marks a dramatic escalation in regional tensions and leaves a significant power vacuum in Iran, with no immediate clear successor named. State media framed the period of mourning as a time for national unity amid ongoing conflict.