Iranian authorities have confirmed their supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in office along with some of his family members. Here's everything to know about them.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been killed in a joint US-Israel airstrike. After the claims made by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Iranian state media has confirmed the speculations. The 86-year-old leader, who has led the Islamic Republic since 1989, reportedly passed away in the early hours of February 28, 2026, in his office located in Tehran. Additionally, some of his family members have lost their lives in the action, and the country has announced a 40-day national mourning period along with a seven-day public holiday. As the world continues to react to the new development, here's everything to know about his kids and family.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had six children, including four sons and two daughters. Although some global media reports contradict it, claiming he had three sons. His children include Mostafa, Mojtaba, Masoud, and Meysam, while his daughters are Boshra and Hoda. Unlike the children of other global leaders, Ali Khamenei's children have mostly kept a low profile. The only exception is Mojtaba Khamenei, considered the most influential among the kids of Iran's former supreme leaders. Ali Khamenei also had three brothers, including Mohammad and Hadi Khamenei. Whereas one of his four sisters, Badri Khamenei, fled into exile in the 1980s.
Mojtaba Khamenei married the daughter of a senior Iranian politician, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel. Since then, he has been considered a key figure within Iran's political and religious circles. He reportedly served during the Iran-Iraq War and allegedly has close influential networks within the Revolutionary Guard and clerical establishment. On the other hand, Masoud is married to the daughter of Iranian politician, Mohsen Kharazi but holds no government role. According to some analysts and Middle- East experts, Mojtaba could have been a potential successor to his father. However, the US and Israel's joint action against his father has changed things for the country's leadership.
After the US-Israel strikes at Iran, the country's state media reported that, along with Ali Khamenei, one of his daughters, a grandchild, a daughter-in-law, and a son-in-law were also killed in the attack. According to claims by Yediot News, allegedly 30 bombs were dropped on the compound of Ali Khamenei's property, which reportedly killed some of his family members. However, the exact detailed identities of the deceased relatives have not yet been officially released. Apart from these, Ali Khamenei also had 7 grandchildren, but again, there is little to no information about them. One grandson, Mohammad Bagher Khamenei, is among the few whose name has been publicly confirmed by official sources.
Ali Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh was born in 1947 into a well-known merchant family and married him in 1964. She is the daughter of Mohammad Esmaeil Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, who was a popular businessman in the city. But despite her marriage to one of the Middle East's most powerful leaders for more than 6 decades, she rarely made public appearances and held no official position. Mansoureh has led an extremely private life. Yet, some reports claim that she played an active political role quietly when Ali Khamenei was frequently arrested under the Shah's regime,
According to Iranian state media, Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours of February 28, 2026. His death was linked to the coordinated US-Israel airstrikes targeting key locations in Tehran. Some satellite images have revealed that the airstrikes caused extensive damage to areas associated with his official residence and office. Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had earlier indicated that there were "strong signs" the supreme leader was dead, but the Iranian officials had dismissed his claims earlier.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death has raised questions and concerns around Iran's stability and curiosity over his successor. It will be important to know what happens in the Middle-East in the next few days.
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