Iran releases final photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before reported death

Iranian state media on Friday published what it says is the last image of Ali Khamenei taken in his office in Tehran shortly before his reported assassination in a joint US‑Israeli airstrike on February 28, which Iranian authorities confirmed on March 1.

Khamenei, who served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, was killed alongside several senior officials during the strike, according to Iranian state broadcasters and security announcements. The released photograph is intended to mark his final moments inside his leadership compound before the attack that triggered national mourning and heightened regional tensions.

The publication of the image comes amid ongoing domestic and international reactions to his death, including Iran’s selection of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new supreme leader.