Iran has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is alive, dismissing reports from Israeli media suggesting he may have been killed in recent US and Israeli strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told NBC News that Khamenei remains unharmed.

The strikes, launched early Saturday, reportedly targeted locations linked to Iranian leadership, including offices associated with Khamenei, who is believed to have been moved to a secure location before the attacks.

Israeli media had claimed the 86-year-old leader could have been killed, while also reporting that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was targeted in the strikes, citing unnamed sources.

The confirmation aims to quell speculation amid rising tensions in the region following the military operations by Israel and the United States.