WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is still alive "as far as I know," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told NBC News after U.S. and Israel launched massive strikes on Iran early Saturday morning.
Araghchi said in an exclusive interview with NBC News that two commanders had died, but senior Iranian officials, including the head of the judiciary and the parliament speaker, had survived.
"All high-ranking officials are alive," he said. "We are handling this situation, and everything is fine."
The Ynet Global, an Israeli major daily news source in English, reported that Israeli officials believe Khamenei was killed in the opening strike on Iran.
The Ynet report said Khamenei was among several senior Iranian leaders targeted in the United States' and Israel's coordinated strikes at multiple locations where they had gathered earlier in the day, citing Israeli security assessments.
NBC News said the outlet has not independently verified the claims. ■
