The Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, President Donald Trump confirmed Saturday.
The president made the announcement from his Palm Beach estate via a Truth Social post, which described the now deceased leader as “one of the most evil people in history.”
“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 wrote. “He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leader could do.”
The president continued by echoing earlier statements shortly after announcing the strikes, urging the Iranian people to rise against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people 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.”
Trump said the process for Iranians to take back their country “should soon be starting.” He said that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” 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!”
In an earlier televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also encouraged the Iranian people to rise up, while announcing the death of Khamenei.
“Citizens of Iran…It is your time to unite and topple this regime,” said Netanyahu.
In response to the death of Khamenei, video from inside Tehran and around the world showed jubilant Iranians celebrating the death of their former leader. Hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the White House Saturday evening in celebration, while groups of protesters gathered to demonstrate against Operation Epic Fury, the name for the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
