Khamenei is dead

Iran confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei. Press TV, the state English-language broadcaster, announced it in a post on X: "It is announced to the martyr-nurturing people of Iran that Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, was martyred in a joint attack by the criminal United States and the Zionist regime." IRIB, the state broadcaster, echoed the news on its Telegram channel. Fars, the news agency linked to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that a daughter of Khamenei, a grandchild, a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law were also killed in the strikes.

He was 86 years old. He ruled Iran for 36 years, since 1989, longer than any other leader in the Middle East. He was commander-in-chief, supreme religious authority, and final arbiter of every decision of state. Under his watch, Iran developed its nuclear programme, built its network of regional proxies, crushed every attempt at internal reform, and survived decades of sanctions. Two months ago, his security forces massacred thousands of protesters in the streets. The Iranian wording, "martyred," is significant: it turns him into a religious hero, not the victim of an intelligence failure. It is the language of resistance, not surrender.

But communiqués do not win wars. According to a senior Israeli official cited by Fox News, the opening strike on central Tehran killed 40 security and regime figures. The Israeli list of confirmed dead includes IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. The strike was, in the precise terms of military doctrine, a decapitation operation successfully executed.

Succession is now the problem. Iran's constitution establishes that an interim council assumes power while the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, selects a new Supreme Leader. The most mentioned candidate is Mojtaba Khamenei, the ayatollah's 56-year-old son, with strong ties to the IRGC. But dynastic succession is frowned upon in the Shiite clerical establishment, and Mojtaba holds no senior religious rank. Israel specifically targeted Khamenei's sons, but intelligence suggests they survived. The highest-ranking civilian apparently still alive is Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who promised on X an "unforgettable lesson." Meanwhile, in the streets of Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Shiraz, people are celebrating. Not the regime. Its end.