Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Reportedly Killed in Airstrike

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, has been reportedly killed after his residence in Tehran’s Narmak district was struck during a wave of U.S. and Israeli military strikes late Saturday, according to multiple media reports.

The Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) and other state-affiliated outlets reported that Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013, was killed alongside several of his bodyguards when the building was hit. He was later appointed as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, an advisory body for the Supreme Leader.

The reported death comes amid one of the most significant escalations in Middle East tensions in years. The strikes on Tehran also killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior officials. In response, Iran has launched retaliatory missiles toward the region, raising fears of a broader conflict.

Ahmadinejad was a polarizing figure whose presidency was marked by a confrontational foreign policy, the accelerated development of Iran’s nuclear program, and internally disputed elections in 2009 that triggered massive protests. He had remained politically active in recent years despite falling out of favor with Iran’s clerical establishment.