Tel Aviv, March 1 (NationPress) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Sunday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated within his leadership compound located in central Tehran. This operation is seen as a pivotal moment, signaling the conclusion of what the IDF characterized as decades of terror directed against Israel.

Khamenei's death occurred during a significant operation executed by the US and Israel, marking a turning point in the 46-year Shia-theocratic governance of Iran, as Tehran's subsequent actions ignited conflicts throughout the Middle East.

In their formal announcement, the Israeli military outlined the details of the strike, declaring, "The Air Force, guided by precise intelligence from Military Intelligence and in partnership with it, targeted the leadership compound in the heart of Tehran where Khamenei was present along with other high-ranking officials."

The IDF labeled Khamenei as the leader of what it termed the Iranian "terrorist regime" since 1989, accusing him of promoting an extremist ideology aimed at Israel and Western nations. They further claimed he was "directly responsible for the violent oppression of Iranian citizens for many years."

The military's statement characterized Khamenei as the architect of the plan to dismantle the State of Israel, calling him the "head of the Iranian octopus," responsible for distributing arms across the Middle East and to the borders of Israel, particularly through the terrorist group Hezbollah. The IDF asserted that he was accountable for various terrorist attacks against Israel and had the blood of numerous global citizens on his hands.

The operation against Khamenei is part of a wider campaign targeting key figures associated with what the IDF referred to as the "Iranian terror axis."

"The IDF has concluded a decades-long chapter with the removal of the leader of the Iranian terror axis. His elimination is a continuation of the series of removals of senior members of this terror axis conducted by the IDF during the conflict," the military stated.

"The assassination of Khamenei underscores the commitment between the IDF and the citizens of Israel—to confront and neutralize any entity that threatens the State of Israel at any time and in any location," the statement elaborated.

Earlier on the same day, the IDF disclosed that Israeli Air Force jets had carried out extensive strikes across Iran, dropping over 1,200 munitions in the past 24 hours.

The Israeli military reported that this aerial campaign specifically targeted hundreds of Iranian military assets, including ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems, as part of their ongoing offensive.