‘Thought they’d never be caught:’ The strike that killed Iran’s Khamenei

For hours, uncertainty surrounded fate of the man who had ruled Iran for more than 3 1/2 decades

Author of the article:

Published Jul 01, 2026  •  3 minute read

Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike based on US intelligence on February 28. Photo by - /AFP

PARIS — On Saturday, Feb. 28, Tehran residents were embarking on the working week during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, nervously anticipating celebrations for the Iranian New Year against the background of diplomatic efforts to stave off war with the U.S. and Israel.

Article content

That morning, there was also activity around and inside the main government complex in Tehran just off Pasteur St. in the heart of the capital, which housed the residence and offices of then supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Article content

Article content

The morning rush was rocked as several explosions shook the area, with smoke seen rising from around the government complex, known locally as the beit-e rahbari (house of the leader).

“The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran,” the Israeli Defence Ministry announced at the time.

For hours, uncertainty surrounded the fate of the man aged 86 who had ruled Iran for more than 3 1/2 decades and had maintained a position of zero compromise with the U.S. as well as crushing dissent.

“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that night on Truth Social, saying he “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems.”

Iranian officials initially insisted that Khamenei had survived. But on the morning of March 1 a state television announcer, his voice breaking with emotion, declared that the leader had “ascended to the highest heavens after tasting the sweet nectar of martyrdom during the holy month of Ramadan.”

Article content

Article content

‘Path of sacrifice’

The New York Times subsequently reported that the CIA had been tracking Khamenei for months and had learned that a meeting of top Iranian officials would take place that Saturday morning at the leadership compound, with the leader present.

The intelligence was passed to Israel and, two hours and five minutes after the Israeli jets took off, at around 9:40 a.m. Tehran time, the long-range missiles struck the compound, it said.

The attack took place in broad daylight, which is highly unusual for such a strike.

“They thought they would never be caught, because we never bomb during breakfast. But we bombed,” Trump said during the G7 summit in France last month.

Khamenei was not the only top official killed, with a whole echelon of senior figures wiped out including Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, Khamenei’s military adviser Ali Shamkhani and defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.

His family was also not spared with a daughter, daughter-in-law, son‑in‑law and infant granddaughter also killed.

Article content

Ali Khamenei has been celebrated as a martyr by some inside Iran. (AFP) Photo by - /AFP

While his son Mojtaba Khamenei, a key figure for years in his father’s office, lost his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, he survived, albeit with wounds according to Iranian officials. One week later he was named the new supreme leader but has yet to be seen in public.

Ali Khamenei had always taken major security precautions. He never left Iran as supreme leader and his speeches were rarely carried live on television or announced in advance. During Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June 2025, he had reportedly retreated to a bunker.

But in an apparent act of defiance, he had never disappeared totally from public view and on Feb. 17 gave his final public speech in the northern city of Tabriz, saying the U.S. wanted to “devour” Iran.

He urged people to stay calm and go about their business “without any worries” and quoted from the Quran: “And Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers.”

Observers were startled that, given the risks, Ali Khamenei was present in the very centre of Tehran on Feb. 28 rather than in hiding elsewhere in the vast country.

Article content

“And in the path of imam Hussein — peace be upon him — the path of sacrifice, dignity and refusal to bow to oppression — imam Khamenei too was martyred,” his office said in a eulogizing video marking the 40-day anniversary of his death, referring to one of the most holy imams in Shia Islam.

‘You wouldn’t believe’

But the attack also further revealed the startling US and Israeli intelligence penetration of Iran, a strategic weakness exposed in the 2025 war when Israel killed a succession of key figures in targeted strikes.

He had been a mainstay of the system since shortly after its inception. (AFP) Photo by - /AFP

According to the Financial Times, road‑surveillance cameras in Tehran including around the leadership compound had been hacked years ago by Israel, enabling the identification of guards, their routines and movements.

Trump said at the G7 that satellite surveillance meant that “if somebody walks in and he has got a badge with his name on it … they can tell the name, they can give you the serial number.

“We can see things, you wouldn’t believe the quality of the stuff that we have. That’s why we have been so successful.”

Article content