Donald Trump has sensationally claimed that US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have wiped out 48 top leaders “in one shot”. Israeli media reports say former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was among those killed in Saturday’s deadly raids.
Ahmadinejad among the dead, Israel says
Trump told Fox News, “Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. It’s moving along rapidly.” The former Tehran mayor, notorious for his hardline nuclear stance and the controversial 2009 election crackdown, reportedly died in the coordinated strikes, according to Israeli sources.
Shock: Tehran mourns Supreme Leader Khamenei
In a stunning double blow for Iran, the regime late Saturday officially confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state TV aired solemn images of Khamenei praying under a black mourning banner, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard mourned “a great leader” lost to “martyrdom.”
“We have lost a great leader and we are mourning him… the beginning of an uprising against the oppressors,” said Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Tehran blamed Israel and the US for Khamenei’s death and declared 40 days of mourning, but did not name a successor, plunging the regime into uncertainty.
Trump hints at talks despite chaos
In a twist, Trump told Atlantic magazine Iran’s “new leadership wants to talk,” and he’s agreed to negotiate, claiming “they should have done it sooner.” His remarks suggest diplomatic efforts could follow in the wake of what he paints as a devastating military victory.
The US President’s claim that nearly the entire Iranian political and military hierarchy was decimated remains unverified. The identity and authority of Iran’s so-called “new leadership” remain a mystery amidst the turmoil.
This unprecedented strike and swift political upheaval could reshape the Middle East—or push it closer to open war.
