Trump Claims Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei Is DEAD After US-Israel Strikes — Tehran Has Not Confirmed
In a dramatic escalation of the Iran crisis, President Donald Trump claimed Saturday evening that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead — allegedly killed in the joint US-Israel strikes that targeted his compound in Tehran earlier in the day. 'The evil Khamenei is dead,' Trump declared on social media.
However, Iran has NOT confirmed Khamenei's death, and more than 12 hours after the strikes began, no Iranian government official has publicly addressed the events. The silence from Tehran has fueled intense speculation about the status of the 86-year-old supreme leader and the country's chain of command.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that at least 201 people were killed and 747 wounded in the US-Israel strikes, which targeted military installations, missile facilities, and government buildings across Iran. The operation — codenamed 'Roaring Lion' by Israel and 'Operation Epic Fury' by the US — has been described as the largest joint military action in the region in decades.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched retaliatory strikes against Israeli military bases and the Israeli Defense Ministry, with Israeli first responders reporting 21 people injured. The IRGC warned that more waves of attacks would follow if the US and Israel did not cease their operations.
For the Philippines, the unfolding crisis has massive implications — from oil prices expected to spike dramatically to the safety of hundreds of thousands of OFWs in the Middle East. If Khamenei's death is confirmed, it could either lead to an even more chaotic escalation or potentially create an opening for regime change, as Trump himself called on Iranians to 'take over your government.'
Source: CNBC / The Guardian / The Hindu
