The whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, remain unknown following a targeted preemptive strike near his headquarters in Tehran, reportedly carried out by Israel in coordination with the United States. It is unclear whether Khamenei was present during the attack or if he sustained any injuries. Citing an Iranian official, Reuters reported that the Supreme Leader was moved to a secure location.
Israeli officials have said that Khamenei is cut off from contact, and there is no certainty about his fate.
Joint US-Israeli Operation Targets Top Iranian Leadership Including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
US and Israeli officials confirmed that several high-profile sites in Tehran, including Khamenei’s compound and offices, were targeted. The operation reportedly aimed at Iran’s top leadership, explicitly including both Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Some reports, however, indicate that Khamenei was not in Tehran at the time of the strikes and had been moved beforehand to an undisclosed, secure location.
We obtained the first known satellite image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound in Tehran. There are several destroyed buildings. While the current whereabouts of Iran’s supreme leader are unknown, the compound is generally used as his official residence. 🛰️📸: @Airbus pic.twitter.com/48krjclMBL
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) February 28, 2026
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Recent Public Absences
The 86-year-old Supreme Leader has not been seen in public since January 31, when he visited the shrine of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
He also skipped the annual February 8 meeting with Iran’s Air Force commanders, a decades-old ritual where the military pledges allegiance, amid rising tensions with the United States. His absence from this traditional event raised additional questions about his health and security.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Longstanding Role in Iran
Ayatollah Khamenei has been Iran’s Supreme Leader for over three-and-a-half decades, taking the post for life in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini. As Supreme Leader, Khamenei holds ultimate authority over Iran’s government, military, and judiciary, while also serving as the country’s spiritual head.
Throughout his tenure, he has maintained that Iran’s nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only and consistently rejected the development of nuclear weapons.
Israel, Iran Bomb Iran
On Saturday, Israel launched a preemptive attack on Iran in coordination with the US, with multiple explosions reported in Tehran near Khamenei’s offices, according to AFP. The strike intensified existing questions about the Supreme Leader’s security and location.
Officials from both the US and Israel have previously issued threats against Khamenei. In June, following a 12-day conflict of US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Khamenei “cannot continue to exist.”
Katz stated, “A dictator like Khamenei who stands at the head of a state like Iran and has the horrible goal of destroying Israel – cannot continue to exist.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
