From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Top Khamenei aide pledges revenge against ‘Zionist criminals’ after supreme leader said killed
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
After Channel 12 reported that he was among the top Iranian officials targeted in US and Israeli strikes, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s top aide Ali Larijani publishes a statement on his X account vowing revenge.
An Israeli official said tonight that Khamenei was killed in Israel’s initial strikes this morning, and Netanyahu is reported to have been shown a photograph of Khamenei’s body retrieved from his compound.
“We will make the Zionist criminals and the shameless Americans regret their actions. The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors,” Larijani tweets.
Khamenei reportedly put in place detailed plans for his succession and emergency chains of command should he, or other top leaders, be killed in potential US or Israeli strikes, elevating longtime loyalist Larijani to manage the crisis.
تبهکاران صهیونیست و آمریکائیان بیصفت را پشیمان میکنیم.
سربازان سلحشور و ملت بزرگ ایران درسی فراموش نشدنی به دوزخیانِ ستمکار بین المللی خواهند داد.— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) February 28, 2026
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