Iran’s hard-line supreme leader is dead after major military strikes, Trump says
Khamenei, 86, an ideologically hardline who was one of Iran’s longest-serving leaders and a lifelong enemy of the United States and Israel, took power in 1989. Over the nearly 40 years that followed, he ruthlessly suppressed public protests and silenced dissidents who challenged his rule.
In recent months, Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests fueled by widespread economic discontent and anger at the government. The country has witnessed periodic civil protests over the years, some of which focused on the regime’s treatment of women.
Trump administration officials planned to brief lawmakers about the military attack on Sunday, including members of the Senate and House Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The United States had already struck Iran in June, as part of another round of nuclear negotiations.
“Our goal is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in an eight-minute video message on Truth Social while the bombing was underway.
The administration is taking “every step possible” to minimize risk to U.S. personnel, Trump added, but he warned that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties.”
“This often happens in times of war,” he added.
Two U.S. officials told NBC News that Israel had been tasked with targeting Iranian leaders while the U.S. attacked Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Top congressional Democrats blasted Trump’s decision to launch military actions in Iran, arguing the strikes required congressional approval, while most Republicans welcomed the action.
European powers have condemned Iran’s retaliation against Middle Eastern countries, with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in a joint statement urging Tehran to return to negotiations.
Trump said the military campaign would only end when peace was restored to the region.
“The intense, one-off bombings will continue, however, uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our goal of PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND, REALLY, THE WORLD!” » he wrote.
