Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that mounting evidence suggests Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, urging Iranians to seize the moment and overthrow their regime in what he called a “once in a generation chance.”
Netanyahu made the claim in a televised address, following reports from Israeli sources confirming Khamenei’s death in the bombardment of his fortified compound. “There are many signs that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said.
He appealed directly to the Iranian people: “You have a once in a generation chance to overthrow the Iranian regime… take to the streets en masse and get the job done.”
The strikes, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” targeted 500 sites including command facilities, air defences, missile installations and nuclear infrastructure, marking Israel’s largest assault on Iran to date, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
US President Donald Trump echoed the call for regime change, describing Iran’s leaders as “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people” and telling Iranians: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei countered the claims, insisting Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are “safe” and “all safe and sound,” while acknowledging that “some commanders have been martyred.”
The escalation has drawn international condemnations, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani labelling it an “illegal war of aggression” and Venezuela denouncing the US actions.
No independent confirmation of Khamenei’s status was immediately available, amid reports of fires in Dubai following Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
