U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, has died.
On the 28th (local time), President Trump posted on his social media, Truth Social, that "Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead," and stated accordingly.
President Trump claimed, "This is not only for the people of Iran but also for the great Americans who were killed or maimed by Khamenei and his bloodthirsty gang of thugs, and for people in many countries around the world."
President Trump said, "He could not evade our intelligence capabilities and highly sophisticated tracking systems, and as a result of working closely with Israel, neither he nor any of the other leaders who died with him had anything at all they could do (other than death)."
Trump also emphasized that this situation is "the single best, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Iran to take back their country."
He claimed, "I have heard information that some within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military, and the security and police organizations no longer wish to fight and are requesting immunity from the United States." He then reiterated his earlier remark: "You can receive immunity now, but later there is only death."
However, President Trump stressed that military operations will not be halted despite Khamenei's death. He said, "Strong and precise bombing will continue without pause throughout this week, or longer if necessary, until the objective of achieving peace in the Middle East and around the world is met."