Tehran – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s paramount authority for nearly four decades, was assassinated in a targeted airstrike on his Tehran compound.
Iranian state media confirmed the assassination early Sunday, 1 March 2026.
State broadcaster IRIB and agencies including Fars News and IRNA reported the 86-year-old cleric was killed “while carrying out his duties” in his office during a massive joint U.S.-Israeli military operation on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
The strikes, which Tehran described as an act by the “criminal United States and the Zionist regime,” also claimed other senior figures.
The government declared 40 days of national mourning.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier announced the killing on his Truth Social, calling it justice and vowing continued bombardment to destabilise the regime.
The assassination reportedly creates a power vacuum at the top of Iran’s leadership.
Meanwhile, UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, warned, “This weekend’s military escalation in the Middle East marks a dangerous moment for millions of children in the region.
“UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports of strikes in Iran and across the region, illustrating the grave danger for children.”
More than 100 children in Iran have reportedly been killed by U.S. and Israeli air strikes on a school, according to Iranian authorities.
Videos have emerged of crowds of people searching through the rubble of a girls’ elementary school in the city of Minab in southern Iran.
“There are reports of schools being struck in Iran, including a girls’ school in Minab in Hormozgan province in southern Iran,” UNICEF lamented.
“Scores of students are reportedly killed, and many others injured.
“UNICEF echoes the call of the Secretary-General for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation.”
UNICEF also urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including the protection of civilians and the essential services children rely on to survive.
“Targeting civilians and civilian objects, including schools, is a violation of international law,” the agency said.
“UNICEF, together with other UN agencies and humanitarian partners, is actively assessing the situation and stands ready to scale up support to affected children and their families as needed and requested.”
