Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader for over three decades, was killed on February 28, 2026, in coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian leadership in Tehran. Within hours, Iranian officials declared retribution against both the United States and Israel, calling it a “duty and right.”
The crypto market responded violently, in both directions. Bitcoin dropped to roughly $63,000 in the immediate aftermath before rebounding above $68,000 once confirmation of Khamenei’s death spread across global media.
What happened in Tehran
Following the assassination, Iran’s political establishment moved quickly. President Masoud Pezeshkian and the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain leader, issued statements vowing retaliation. Mojtaba Khamenei stated that “Iran will not forgo avenging the blood of the martyrs.”
Strikes on US bases were reported in the wake of the assassination, signaling that Tehran intended to back its words with military action. Threats toward Israel escalated in parallel.
