Iran's Supreme Leader is presumed dead after U.S.-Israel strikes, sources say

World Iran's Supreme Leader presumed dead after U.S.-Israel strikes, sources say By Margaret Brennan Margaret Brennan Moderator, "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan;" Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan is moderator of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on CBS. Based in Washington, D.C., Brennan is also the Network's chief foreign affairs correspondent and a contributing correspondent to 60 Minutes. Additionally, she appears regularly on the "CBS Evening News," leading coverage from Washington when news breaks on the political and foreign affairs fronts. Read Full Bio Margaret Brennan February 28, 2026 / 3:26 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is presumed dead after a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation Saturday, multiple Israeli official sources told CBS News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Saturday that there are "growing signs" that Khamenei is "gone" after the mission. People are cheering in the streets of Tehran, according to a CBS News producer in Tehran. But the state media in Tehran has not confirmed Khamenei's death, and neither has the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Khamenei, 86, had been Iran's supreme leader since 1989, succeeding the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei controlled all branches of the government and the military, and was considered the spiritual leader. It's unclear who will succeed him. This is breaking news and will be updated. The Standoff with Iran More Map shows military strike locations across Iran