Live: Iranian state TV announces death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

 Good evening, Middle East Eye readers.

If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick recap of the latest developments across the region:

US-Israeli attack

• The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran shortly after 9:30am local time (6am GMT).

• Iran denies Khamenei death reports after strike claims

• Iran’s Red Crescent Society says US and Israeli attacks have struck 24 provinces across the country, leaving 201 people dead and 747 wounded.

• Eighty-five killed, mostly young girls, after a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the objective was regime change, while US President Donald Trump called on Iranians to rise up and take control of their government

• Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir invoked biblical language widely considered as genocidal in comments posted on X about the war on Iran.

Iranian response

• Nearly an hour after the strikes began, Iran launched retaliatory rocket attacks.

• Explosions were heard across Israel, including in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, as air defence systems responded to incoming projectiles. 

• Israeli emergency services say they have treated 89 people for minor injuries since Israel launched its war on Iran on Saturday morning, according to Haaretz.

• Iran also targeted US military bases in the region, with strikes reported in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, Doha and Kuwait. Blasts were also heard in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqai has told Al Jazeera Arabic that Tehran views the latest US and Israeli strikes as "a declaration of war" rather than a "limited operation.”

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the start of “the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

The offensive will begin in “just moments”, the IRGC said, and will target the “occupied territories and American terrorist bases” in the region.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday said “we have lost a great leader, and we mourn him”, announcing the “Iranian nation’s hand of revenge."

IRGC said that Khamenei’s “martyrdom at the hands of the most vicious terrorists and executioners of humanity is a sign of the legitimacy of this great leader and the acceptance of his sincere services”, adding that "we will not let them go”.

The IRGC will stand “firm in confronting domestic and foreign conspiracies,” the statement published by Fars news said.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed at his office while “performing his assigned duties” in the early hours of Saturday morning, Fars news agency reported. 

The Iranian government has declared 40 days of public mourning in the wake of Khamenei’s killing. It also announced seven days of public holidays.

The Iranian government has declared 40 days of public mourning in the wake of Khamenei’s killing, Fars News Agency has reported. 

It also announced seven days of public holidays.

Iranian state media announced the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after contradictory reports of the killing. 

US President Donald Trump has declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. 

Iranian officials earlier called the reports of Khamenei's death part of “psychological warfare” conducted by Iran’s enemies.

Two explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Mehr news agency has reported. 

In a post on X, Israel’s Air Force said it has completed another wave of strikes on ballistic missile arrays and air defence systems in western and central Iran.

One of the targeted sites was a missile launch site in the central Qom region, it said.

A Dubai-based influencer has documented an apparent Iranian attack near the Fairmont Dubai hotel.

The footage captures smoke billowing in the vicinity of the hotel.

A Dubai-based influencer has documented an apparent Iranian attack near the Fairmont Dubai hotel.

The footage captures smoke billowing in the vicinity of the hotel. pic.twitter.com/JyEUhfunAC

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 1, 2026

Iranian supreme leader’s daughter, son-in-law and grandson have been killed in a strike, semi-official Fars news agency reported. 

US President Donald Trump has declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. 

Iranian officials have called the reports of Khamenei's death part of “psychological warfare” conducted by Iran’s enemies.

League of Arab States representative to the UN, Maged Abdelaziz, on Saturday, said that through escalation against Iran, Israel is seeking to evade ending its occupation of Palestine and to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Abdelaziz said: “The Security Council convenes today at a pivotal moment in the history of the United Nations, a moment that unfortunately represents a glaring failure of the multilateral international system, a failure the League of Arab States has long warned against." 

“Israel seeks, through this escalation, to evade ending its occupation of Palestinian territories, to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and to obstruct Palestine's admission to the UN in implementation of the two-state solution and the core principles of international legitimacy,” he added. 

Bahrain’s interior ministry on Saturday said the country’s international airport was targeted with a drone, “resulting in material damage without loss of life”.

The ministry has said the state authorities were securing the area.

Earlier today, an Iranian drone hit a high-rise building in Bahrain, with no casualties reported. 

The US embassy in the country has warned that it considers high-rise buildings unsafe.

The Dubai Media Office on Saturday said that a fire at one of the berths of the Jebel Ali Port occurred after it was hit by debris from an “aerial interception”.

The office said that Dubai’s Civil Defence teams are “continuing their efforts to fully extinguish the fire” at the commercial port, which is the largest in the Middle East.

Jebel Ali Port is located just south of Palm Jumeirah, where an explosion was reported earlier.

A missile strike linked to Iran also triggered a fire at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

Dubai authorities confirm that debris resulting from an aerial interception caused a fire at one of the berths at Jebel Ali Port. Dubai Civil Defense teams responded immediately and are continuing their efforts to fully extinguish the fire. No injuries have been reported.…

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 28, 2026

The head of public relations for the Office of the Supreme Leader on Saturday posted on social media that these reports are part of “psychological warfare” conducted by Iran’s enemies.

State-affiliated news agencies have also denied the reports, asserting that Ayatollah Khamenei remains steadfast and firmly in command.

Iran’s foreign minister said in an interview that the Supreme Leader, the Iranian President, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the Speaker of Parliament are all alive "as per his knowledge". 

US President Donald Trump has declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead.”

The death toll from the bombing of a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab has climbed to 115, according to the city’s governor.

Local authorities say the US-Israeli strike targeted the school earlier this week, with the number of fatalities continuing to rise as rescue teams search the site.

Officials have not yet released a full breakdown of the victims.