Revolutionary Guard chief and Khamenei’s close aide Ali Shamkhani also martyred

TEHRAN: Iranian state media has confirmed that senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, Ali Shamkhani, was martyred in coordinated airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel. The strikes, which targeted multiple locations across Tehran, also killed Mohammad Pakpour, a senior commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

According to the Iranian News Agency, a temporary council comprising President Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist from the Guardian Council will assume key responsibilities in the wake of the attacks.

The developments come after Iranian media confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in the same wave of US-Israeli airstrikes late on February 28. Khamenei, 86, had led Iran since 1989, wielding ultimate authority over the country’s military and state institutions. A 40-day mourning period and seven public holidays have been announced.

US President Donald Trump said Washington coordinated closely with Israel in what Israeli officials described as their largest aerial campaign against Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that around 200 fighter jets struck hundreds of targets, including missile systems and senior command centers, and that Khamenei’s compound was destroyed.

Iran condemned the strikes as illegal and unprovoked, launching retaliatory missile and drone attacks toward Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases. Missiles were reported over Tel Aviv, while countries including the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain activated air defenses.

Oil markets reacted nervously amid warnings from Tehran that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed. With nuclear negotiations already stalled and missiles still being exchanged, fears are growing that the confrontation could spiral into a broader regional conflict.