After reports by some Israeli media channels that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was believed to have been killed in Saturday morning's strikes by Israel and the US, the Iranian foreign minister said that Khamenei is still alive. However, he also said "as far as I know" before the statement. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was speaking to NBC News.
Speculation is rife regarding the fate of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to satellite imagery from Airbus Defence and Space obtained by The New York Times, the Tehran residence of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was completely levelled by Israeli Air Force strikes this morning.
News agency Reuters reported, citing three sources, that Iran's Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpour were killed in the attacks.
Reports cited by international media suggest that Khamenei has been moved to a secure location outside Tehran.
Tensions escalated in the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, leading to swift retaliation from Tehran and triggering explosions and emergency alerts across multiple Gulf countries.
In retaliation for the US-Israel strikes, Iran simultaneously fired ballistic missiles at Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar. The sound of another massive explosion was heard in Dubai, news agency Reuters reported.
