Trump says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in Iran airstrikes

(Sharecast News) - US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in American-Israeli military attacks.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote in a social media post.

"He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do." Trump added that the aim of the attacks was regime change and bombing would continue.

The surprise war came after officials from Tehran and Washington met on Thursday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme but failed to achieve a breakthrough.

In response, Iran launched missile and drone strikes against US bases, including the headquarters of the US navy's fifth fleet in Bahrain, Israeli residential areas, and targets in other Gulf countries including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," Trump added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier claimed there were "many signs" the 86-year-old Khamenei was "no longer alive" but provided no evidence.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com