Iran‘s Supreme Leader is dead, Donald Trump has proclaimed in a lengthy social media. However, under bombardment from American and Israeli forces, the Iranian government still insists Ali Khamenei is alive, though no one has seen the much feared cleric in days.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote this afternoon at 1:37 pm PT.
As the BBC noted soon after Trump posted, there has been “no independent verification” of Khameni s death. Iranian State media are saying, as they have been all day, that Khamenei is alive, Still, satellite images show the cleric’s residence was destroyed and publicly unveiled plans for him to address the Islamic Republic were shelved.
Still Trump had no such caution in his post.
“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,” POTUS added.
With rumors of Khemenei’s fate swirling in the hours after the first attacks on Tehran, cable news outlets scrambled as Trump made his announcement. In American cities like LA, anti-Khemenei protesters were celebrating on the streets and online within minutes of Trump’s posting.
Speaking on Israeli TV earlier Saturday, PM Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Khemenei have “left,” a significant choice of words. At the same time as Trump posted, a UN Security Council meeting continued. Trump said the strikes on Iran, who had fired back at US bases and allies in the Middle East, would go on for several more days.