On the social media platform Truth Social on February 28, President Donald Trump shared a post claiming that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had passed away, describing it as “justice” and stating that US operations in the region would continue with the goal of achieving peace in the Middle East.

According to CNN, President Trump called for leadership changes in Tehran following coordinated actions by the US and Israel, a development that reportedly led to a strong response from Iran.

Trump stated that Ali Khamenei had died during the operations and said activities would continue this week. Iranian state media reported that more than 200 people lost their lives. However, Iran rejected the claim regarding Khamenei’s d𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with NBC, said the Supreme Leader “is still alive as far as I know,” adding that “most officials are safe,” though there may have been losses among senior figures. He noted that it remained unclear who was affected. Israeli sources speaking to CNN also said there was no confirmation of Khamenei’s reported d𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑.

According to Araghchi, Iran had communicated with Gulf states to clarify that it had no intention of targeting them, stating that its actions were limited to specific US facilities as a defensive measure. He criticized Washington for conducting negotiations while carrying out operations, referencing recent US-Iran talks in Geneva. The Iranian Foreign Minister said Tehran was interested in reducing tensions and remained open to dialogue if the US initiated contact.

Following the operations, Iran responded by targeting certain US and Israeli facilities and other locations in the region, leading to disruptions in air travel and oil shipments in several areas.

The US said it had not recorded any losses related to the clashes. The FBI raised its security alert level, while the US State Department advised American citizens worldwide to exercise “extreme caution.”

Amid rising tensions, the United Arab Emirates described the situation as a “historic moment” for the Middle East and said the international community had not done enough to ensure regional stability.