President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
President Donald Trump told NBC News on Saturday afternoon that his administration believes Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a strike earlier in the day.
“We feel that is a correct story,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker.
The president added he believed “most” of Iran’s senior leadership is “gone.”
“The people that make all the decisions, most of them are gone,” he said.
That report came shortly after N12 News chief political analsyt Amit Segal reported Khamenei was dead and that his body has been recovered.
“Senior officials in Israel were informed: Khamenei has been eliminated. His body was recovered from the ruins of his palace,” Segal posted on X.
Trump has not posted on his Truth Social platform about it as of 3:38 p.m. ET.
About an hour earlier, Fox News anchor Bret Baier reported Trump is “very happy” and “pleased” with how the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran have gone so far, with Baier reporting on Saturday afternoon that the Trump administration expected the country’s theocratic regime to put up more of a fight to this point.
Baier shared his latest reporting during a segment around 2:10 p.m. ET.
“I am being told the president is very happy with what has happened so far. There are no U.S. casualties that we know of so far,” Baier reported. “So far the response from my Iran is much less than they thought it was going to be.”
He added a few more key details, including the Trump administration has “off ramps” for Operation Epic Fury in place, depending on whether the regime has been “toppled” or if the “Iranians do say something.”
Baier also said the “sense is the president is pleased” and “cautiously optimistic” about the strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu addressed the Iranian people in a video statement on Saturday afternoon, calling for regime change in the Islamic state.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity because soon there’s going to be a moment that you’ll have to go to the streets to complete this act and to topple this regime this help that you were wishing for helped as arrived,” Netanyahu said.
He added, “this is the time to go together for this mission. Citizens of Iran…all of you. It’s your time to unite and to topple this regime.”
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