By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Iranian state television on Sunday confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, without referring to a massive US and Israeli attack on his residence.
A presenter on state television announced Khamenei’s death at 5:00 am (0130 GMT), as the channel broadcast archive images with a black banner as a sign of mourning.
Khamenei, 86, had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.
US President Donald Trump had on Saturday said that Khamenei had been killed in air strikes, though there has been no confirmation from Tehran.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.”
Trump said the Iranian leader had been “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems.”
The US President said the death of Khamenei gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back their country.”
“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces no longer want to fight and are looking for Immunity from us.
“As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!” Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves.
“That process should soon start in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated.
“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world!” Trump posted.
AFP