US, Israel attack Iran live updates: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead, photo of his body shown to Netanyahu: reports
By
Alec Gearty and
Updated Feb. 28, 2026, 3:32 p.m. ET
he US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran Saturday morning, allegedly killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a senior Israeli official.
His body was reportedly recovered and a photo of it was shown to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The airstrikes are a response to the regime’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program following weeks of talks — and as the US increased its military presence in the Middle East after President Trump warned Tehran there would be consequences if a deal was not reached. Israel later confirmed that the joint strikes targeted the Supreme Leader and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump vowed in a video message posted on Truth Social just before 3 a.m.
He warned Tehran to “lay down your arms or face certain death.”
Iran later warned that the “first wave of extensive missile and drone attacks” is underway across Israel.3.1K
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Tehran also struck near a US Navy base in Bahrain, harrowing video obtained by The Post shows.
US and Israeli officials are saying that the military campaign in Iran could last weeks.
Follow The Post’s live updates for the latest news on the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.
Cheers and applause echo across Tehran — as word spreads that Supreme Leader Khamenei is dead
Loud cheers could be heard throughout parts of Tehran after news of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, broke.
Tehran residents can be heard in videos posted to X cheering and celebrating out their windows shortly after 11 p.m. local time, Times of Israel reported.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei was dead and other Israeli outlets reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been shown a picture of his body.
Islamic Republic will deliver ‘unforgettable lesson’ after Ayatollah’s death, top aide vows
The Islamic Republic will deliver an “unforgettable lesson” to the US and Israel, after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his top aide promised.
“We will make the Zionist criminals and the shameless Americans regret their actions,” Ali Larijani posted on X.
“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors,” he vowed
Pentagon uses one-way attack UAVs modeled after Iran’s signature suicide drones to deliver ‘American-made retribution’
The Central Command’s Task Force Scorpion announced that the U.S. will be using one-way attack drones in combat for the first time in history during Operation Epic Fury, in the ‘largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation.’
“These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution,” CENTCOM wrote on X.
CENTCOM said that strikes by U.S. and partner forces began at 1:15 a.m. ET Saturday, ‘to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.’
“Operation Epic Fury involves the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation,” CENTCOM said in a press release on Saturday.
Kamala Harris slams US-Israeli strikes as an ‘unnecessary gamble’ that risks American lives
Kamala Harris slammed US-Israeli missile strikes against Iran as a “dangerous and unnecessary gamble” that risks American lives.
“I am opposed to a regime-change war in Iran, and our troops are being put in harm’s way for the sake of Trump’s war of choice,” the former vice president wrote in a scathing statement on Saturday afternoon.
“What we are witnessing is not strength. It is recklessness dressed up as resolve.”
She accused President Trump of lying during his 2024 campaign, in which he “promised to end wars rather than start them,” her statement reads.
Harris noted that even if Trump had received congressional approval for the attacks, the decision would still would have been “unwise, unjustified and not supported by the American people.”
Trump says he has several ‘off ramps’ after striking Iran
President Trump says he has several “off ramps” after striking Iran overnight, Axios is reporting.
“I can go long and take over the whole thing – or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians, ‘see you again in a few years if you start rebuilding,'” Trump said in a phone interview with the outlet from Mar-a-Lago Saturday.
“In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack.”
The comments hint at the possibility the US could conduct a short military operation followed by new ultimatums, as it tries to hammer out a nuclear deal with Iran while facing pressure to avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Trump talks with leaders in the Middle East and NATO amid ongoing strikes in Iran
President Trump has spoken with a number of leaders throughout the Middle East and NATO as strikes in Iran continue.
“President Trump has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X on Saturday afternoon.
LIVE COVERAGE: Iran’s Khamenei and 40 top leaders killed: Israeli official