When the United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran on Saturday (February 28), one of their main targets was the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
And it seems that the US and Israel were successful as the first wave of strikes flattened the compound of the Iranian leader, resulting in the death of the 86-year-old leader. Donald Trump announced the news of Ayatollah Khamenei’s death on Sunday (March 1), writing on Truth Social, “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, who have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs.”
Reports also stated that, along with Khamenei, the US-Israel strikes also took out multiple members of his family, including his daughter and grandchild.
These deaths and the escalating tensions have renewed scrutiny of the Ayatollah’s private life and family. Here’s what we have found out so far.
How was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed?
How did the US and Israel pinpoint the location of Khamenei, who has been under tight security?
According to sources, after much tracking and planning, Israel and the US timed their attack on Iran on Saturday to coincide with a meeting Khamenei was holding with top aides. Two Iranian sources told Reuters that Khamenei met on Saturday with Ali Shamkhani, the powerful former National Security Council Secretary, and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a secure location shortly before the strikes began.
The sources add that once they received confirmation of Khamenei’s meeting, the US-Israel air and naval operation kicked in. And Khamenei’s high-security compound in Tehran was struck at the beginning of the operation.
Which members of Ayatollah Khamenei have been killed?
On Saturday, the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, striking many cities, including Tehran. Among the sites hit were Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound in the capital city. This led to the 86-year-old’s death, with Fars news agency reporting that Khamenei was killed “in his office in the household of the leader” while “carrying out his duties” at the time of the attack early.
In response to his death, Iran has ordered 40 days of mourning. However, many Iranians were celebrating the news of his demise, taking to the streets and dancing and chanting slogans, as per videos on social media.
One senior Israeli official was quoted as saying that Khamenei’s body was reportedly recovered in rubble, and a
photograph of his corpse was shown to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a New York Post report.
Apart from Khamenei, the US-Israel strikes also killed other
members of his family — his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law. Fars reported, “After establishing contact with informed sources in the Supreme Leader’s household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter of the Revolutionary Leader has unfortunately been confirmed.” The identities of those who have died are yet to be determined.
Who’s who in the Ayatollah’s family?
Before his demise, not much was known about
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s family. He kept his personal life away from prying eyes.
However, according to reports, Khamenei has a huge family. His father had three daughters with his first wife, all of whom are dead now. However, Khamenei’s family remarried and had five other children — Mohammad, Ali, who became Iran’s supreme leader, Badri, Hadi, and Hassan.
According to an Iran Wire report, Hassan Khamenei is the only brother who is not a cleric. He has worked at the Ministries of Oil and Culture. The Iranian Supreme Leader’s other brother, Mohammad, is a member of the political camp that voted against Mir Hossein Mousavi becoming prime minister in 1981.
Meanwhile, Hadi Khamenei, the supreme leader’s third brother, has been at odds with him politically. He also published two newspapers, Jahan Islam and Hayat No, before they were banned.
Badri, who is his sister, has been a vocal opponent of his policies. She defected to Iraq in the 1980s. Along with her husband, she returned to Iran in 1995, following which her husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he was released after 10 years. He died in October 2022.
Apart from his siblings, Khamenei was married to Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh. She has rarely ever made public appearances. According to a few news reports, her father was a well-known businessman in Mashhad, and her brother Hassan previously served as the deputy director of the state broadcaster IRIB.
The couple has six children: four sons and two daughters. Their sons are Mostafa, Mojtaba, Masoud, and Meysam, while their daughters are Boshra and Hoda. Boshra and Hoda are married to Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri Kani and Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, respectively. He also has several grandchildren, although their names are not known to the public.
Of his children,
Mojtaba is, perhaps, the most popular and is also in contention to be appointed as his
successor. Born in 1969, he was trained by influential teachers and became a cleric as his father. Currently, he is teaching theology at the Qom Seminary, the largest Islamic seminary in Iran.
While he has stayed out of the public eye, over the past few years, Mojtaba has gained significance in Tehran; he has become more active in Iranian politics and is playing a role in decision-making in the regime.
In 2021, Mojtaba Khamenei was granted the title of ayatollah, which is a constitutional requirement to serve as Iran’s supreme leader.
With inputs from agencies
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