President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the joint U.S.–Israeli military operation launched overnight against Iran.

“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump suggested that American intelligence was able to locate him and target him during the operation.

“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said.

At the same time, Trump encouraged Khamenei’s military forces to lay down their weapons and surrender.

“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’ Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated,” Trump said.

The president added that U.S. military would continue its operation against Iran for the rest of the week.

“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” Trump said.

Earlier this month, Trump said that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”

“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking, and in the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk,” Trump said. “Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off — this has been going on for a long time. So let’s see what happens.”

The world tilted on its axis Saturday as President Donald J. Trump sat locked in at Mar-a-Lago, eyes fixed, jaw set, while U.S. military forces unleashed what the White House dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran — a day nearly 37 years in the making since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took power as Iran’s supreme leader in 1989.

The images are historic. Inside a darkened room at Mar-a-Lago, transformed into a working situation room, heavy black curtains block out the Florida sunlight. A large operations map stands behind the president, marked with strategic indicators. Secure phones sit within arm’s reach. Briefing folders are spread across the table. Trump sits at the head, wearing a white USA cap, leaning slightly forward as updates come in.

President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran: Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/OfnMkmBZ8G

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026

Around him, senior advisors are tightly packed, some clasping their hands, others focused on intelligence screens out of frame. Aides line the wall, arms folded, listening. No one is smiling. No one looks relaxed. It is command in motion.

February 28, 2026 unfolded rapidly. U.S. military strikes targeted Iranian regime infrastructure in coordination with Israeli military actions. Explosions were reported in multiple locations across Iran as sites tied to the regime’s security and military apparatus were hit.

President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran: Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/st88hbLrpY

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026

Then came the development that sent shockwaves around the globe. Israeli officials said the body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been located following the strikes and that he was confirmed dead. U.S. officials indicated they were aware of the reports and were assessing the intelligence as information continued to come in. If confirmed, Khamenei’s death would mark the most consequential leadership rupture in the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

Since assuming power in 1989, he has overseen Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its regional proxy network, and its decades-long confrontation with the United States and Israel.

Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet Secretaries in the Situation Room, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/x3AFYv3fyH

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026

Inside the Mar-a-Lago situation room, the imagery captures a president monitoring every development as the day intensified. Advisors studied maps. Secure lines remained active. The atmosphere appears disciplined but heavy — the kind of quiet intensity that accompanies irreversible decisions. Iranian state media had not publicly confirmed Khamenei’s death as of publication. Regional tensions remain elevated as governments worldwide assess the fallout and military forces reposition across the Middle East.

Operation Epic Fury now stands as one of the most aggressive direct military actions against the Iranian regime in modern history. What follows could redefine the balance of power in the region — and close a chapter that has shaped global politics for nearly four decades.