US President Donald Trump announced that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during US and Israeli airstrikes on the country. Iranian authorities have not confirmed the death of the 86-year-old leader.

Khamenei served as Iran's second supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, wielding extensive authority as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. His death, if verified, could herald a new and uncertain era for Iran and the wider region.

Born in 1939 in Mashhad, Khamenei grew up in a religious family, becoming a cleric by age 11. His activism against the Shah's regime led to multiple arrests and torture. After the revolution, he was appointed Tehran's Friday prayer leader, cementing his role in the new leadership.

In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt that left his right arm paralyzed. That same year, he was elected president and served as a wartime leader during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, which solidified his distrust of the West.

In 1989, Khamenei was selected as supreme leader following Ayatollah Khomeini's death. His rule saw Iran remain in international isolation, with young Iranians having never experienced life without his leadership.

Source: www.bbc.com