Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law were also killed in the attack - The next successor is second son Mojtaba

Reports indicate that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 40 other commanders have been killed in a massive missile attack launched by the United States and Israel. Approximately 30 missiles struck Khamenei's office complex, and his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law also died in the attack.

This series of attacks, targeting 10 major cities including Tehran, resulted in over 200 deaths, including 148 schoolgirls, and more than 740 injuries when a missile hit a school. Following Khamenei's death, Iran has declared a 40-day period of national mourning and a seven-day public holiday. US President Donald Trump noted on his Truth Social account that one of history's cruelest individuals had died, and that justice had been served for America and the world.

In response to this attack, the Iranian military has launched a massive series of counter-attacks against Israel and 8 other countries in the Middle East. Iran launched over 400 missiles at Israel alone, and additionally targeted American military bases in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It has been confirmed that drone and missile attacks also struck the Burj Khalifa building and the surrounding Palm Resort in Dubai, the most populous city in the UAE, as well as residential buildings in Bahrain. The escalation of these conflicts between Iran and Israel, along with Western countries, is primarily attributed to Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missile project, Iran's interventions in countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, as well as economic sanctions imposed by the United States.

There is widespread belief that Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei's second son, will be appointed as Iran's next Supreme Leader, or 'Rahbar', after the leader's demise. Due to his father's illness, 60 members of the 88-member Committee of Experts secretly convened on September 26, 2024, and selected him as the next leader, for which he has been training for the past two years. Mojtaba, an expert in Islamic affairs, first gained global attention by suppressing the massive protests known as the 'Green Movement' launched by Mir Hossein Mousavi's supporters against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran's 2009 presidential election. Although he holds no official government position and does not speak publicly, he is considered one of the most powerful figures behind Iran's intelligence agencies and critical government processes, and Mojtaba's power was further solidified after the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi.

Among the two countries in the world where a religious leader holds the most power, the Vatican and Iran, Iran's overall governance, military, and foreign policy are directed by this Supreme Leader. In addition to this leader, Iran's governing structure also includes an 88-member Committee of Experts appointed by the public every 8 years, the President who is the country's second most powerful person, a Guardian Council consisting of 6 religious leaders and 6 judges appointed every 6 years, and a Parliament of 290 members appointed every 4 years. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, born on April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, was arrested in 1963 for speaking against the Shah's regime and played a prominent role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. After surviving a bombing in 1981 and being elected as the country's third president, he held the highest power in Iran for 37 years following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.