Fresh Report Discloses What Led to Killing of Khamenei in US-Israel Strikes on Iran
- A New York Times report disclosed how CIA intelligence about Khamenei attending a leadership meeting helped guide the US-Israel strike
- The attack, carried out in the morning after a change in plans, killed Khamenei and top Iranian officials, including Mohammad Pakpour and Ali Shamkhani
- Iran has since retaliated, while President Donald Trump says the US bombing will continue as regional tensions intensify
Legit.ng Journalist Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award winner, with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance, and accountability in Nigeria.
A fresh report has revealed that intelligence gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) played a crucial role in the strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during coordinated US-Israel attacks on Tehran.
Legit.ng reports that the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been confirmed following the Israeli-United States attacks.
Source: Getty Images
He was killed at his office early Saturday, February 28, while “performing his assigned duties.”
According to a report by The New York Times, CIA intelligence indicating that Khamenei would attend a high-level meeting of Iranian officials helped shape the timing and execution of the operation.
How the strike was planned
The newspaper, citing sources familiar with the operation, reported that the CIA had tracked Khamenei’s movements for months. Intelligence revealed that a meeting of top Iranian national security officials was scheduled for Saturday morning at a leadership compound in central Tehran.
Washington and Tel Aviv had initially planned to launch the strikes at night. However, the plan was adjusted after the CIA confirmed Khamenei’s expected presence at the compound during the morning meeting.
The United States reportedly shared the intelligence with Israel, which took charge of executing the attack on the Iranian leadership.
The operation began around 6:00 am Israeli time (0400 GMT), with long-range missiles striking the compound at approximately 9:40 am, according to the report.
Officials killed in the strike
According to Iranian authorities and state news agency IRNA, the following senior figures were killed:
- Ali Khamenei – Supreme Leader of Iran
- Ali Shamkhani – Khamenei’s security adviser and head of Iran’s Security Council
- Abdul Rahim Mousavi – Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces
- Aziz Nasirzadeh – Defence Minister
- Mohammad Pakpour – Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
IRNA added that more armed forces commanders were also killed, noting that their names would be released at a later time.
Israeli military publishes its own list
The Israeli military also released a separate list of senior Iranian figures it claimed were eliminated in Saturday’s airstrikes. Beyond the names already confirmed by Tehran, Israel said those killed included:
- Aziz Nasirzadeh, the country’s defence minister
- Ali Shamkhani, the head of the Iranian Security Council
- Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
- Saleh Asadi, an intelligence official
- Hossein Jabal Amelian and Reza Mozaffari-Nia, research officials
- Mohammed Shirazi, a longtime defence liaison.
The Israeli military further claimed it had struck “the heart of Tehran” for the first time since the latest wave of attacks began.
In a statement posted on Telegram, it said the strikes targeted government sites and were aimed at establishing aerial superiority and “paving the path to Tehran.
Rising regional tensions
Following the strikes, Iran launched retaliatory attacks, with reports of explosions in parts of the Gulf region, including near US military bases and in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
US President Donald Trump said American bombing operations would continue “as long as necessary,” raising concerns over a wider regional conflict.
Source: Getty Images
The killing of Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv, with global powers closely monitoring the unfolding crisis.
Meanwhile, the last post that Legit.ng sighted on Khamenei’s verified X handle appeared to have cryptically confirmed the death, too.
Iran announces new leadership appointment
Legit.ng earlier reported that Iran has announced a new interim leadership arrangement following the death of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, activating a constitutional process to manage the country’s affairs pending the election of a permanent successor.
Religious scholar Alireza Arafi, a member of Iran’s Guardian Council, has been appointed to the leadership council tasked with carrying out the responsibilities of the supreme leader.
Arafi will serve alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei as part of the temporary governing body.
Iran releases names of top officials killed
Legit.ng earlier reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and several top military and security officials were confirmed killed following coordinated US-Israel strikes.
Iranian authorities and the Israeli military released the names of senior figures said to have died in the attacks.
Meanwhile, Tehran reported over 200 casualties nationwide and pledged retaliation against US and Israeli interests.
Source: Legit.ng
