U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and signaled that military operations against Iran could continue.
Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social at approximately 4:40 p.m. Eastern Time on the 28th (local time), stating that "Khamenei, one of the most evil figures in history, is dead." The announcement came about 15 hours after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time (9:45 a.m. Iran time) the same day.
"This is justice not only for the Iranian people but also for the many great Americans and people from countries around the world who were killed or maimed by Khamenei and his bloodthirsty gang of thugs," Trump said. "He could not escape our intelligence capabilities and highly sophisticated tracking systems, and the other leaders who were eliminated alongside him were equally helpless as a result of our close cooperation with Israel."
Addressing the Iranian people, Trump emphasized that "now is the one great opportunity for the Iranian people to take back their country." He also made remarks interpreted as urging Iran's military and security forces to surrender. "I am receiving reports that many members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military, and security and police forces no longer want to fight and are requesting immunity from us," he said. "Immunity is available now, but later there will only be death."
Trump added that he hopes the Revolutionary Guards and police will peacefully join patriotic forces within Iran to rebuild the nation.
The president also suggested the possibility of expanded military operations. "Beyond Khamenei's death, this country has been largely destroyed in just one day and has been virtually reduced to rubble," Trump said. "Powerful and precise bombardments will continue without interruption throughout this week, and longer if necessary, until our objectives of achieving peace throughout the Middle East and beyond are realized."