Iran declared a seven-day holiday and 40 days of state mourning following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran declared a seven-day holiday and 40 days of state mourning following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a religious rally in Tehran on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. February 19, 2026

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been martyred, Iran says

Iran has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack. The news was broadcast on Iranian state media this Sunday morning. BBC and CNN reported.

Iran's state media IRIB reported this morning, "Iran's Supreme Leader has been martyred" (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un).

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced the death of Khamenei. In a post on his Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Khameni, one of the worst people in history, has died."

According to a Reuters report, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an attack on his office in Tehran on Saturday morning.

The BBC reported that 40 days of national mourning have been declared in Iran starting Sunday (March 1) following the death of the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a leader who ruled Iran for 37 years

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was born in 1939 in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iran. His father was a religious leader. In 1962, Khamenei joined the opposition movement led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei became the country's deputy defense minister. Ali Khamenei played a key role in building Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

After Khomeini's death in 1989, Iran's Assembly of Experts (a council of religious leaders) elected Ali Khamenei as the country's supreme religious leader; although the constitution had to be amended to allow him to take office.

Since assuming the role of supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has maintained firm control over Iranian politics and the armed forces. He has cracked down on various challenges to his rule.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also consistently taken a tough stance on foreign affairs. He has never bowed to the United States and its ally Israel, including other Western countries, on matters concerning his country.

Seven Iranian presidents have taken office under Ali Khamenei. He has six children.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Photo: Reuters)

Iran declares 7-day public holiday to mark Khamenei's martyrdom

The government of the country has declared 40 days of national mourning across the country to mark the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack in Iran. At the same time, a seven-day general holiday has been declared in his memory. AP reports.

One killed, 7 injured in drone attack at Abu Dhabi airport

One person was killed and seven others were injured in an Iranian drone attack at Zayed International Airport in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The airport authorities gave this information in a statement posted on social media. CNN reports.

The post urged the general public not to spread rumors and to rely only on information obtained through official sources. It was said that updated information about the situation would be provided in a timely manner.

Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law and grandson killed in the attack

It has been reported that the daughter, son-in-law and grandson of the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed in an attack in Iran. Al-Jazeera and Reuters reported the news, citing the Fars News Agency, affiliated with the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The United States and Israel have claimed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself has been killed. US President Donald Trump announced this information in a post on his Twitter account.

However, the Iranian government has not yet confirmed or denied the truth of this claim. Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr reported that the supreme leader "remains steadfast and is leading on the battlefield."