He died as he lived: Tilting at windmills and waxing grandiloquent about the inevitable destruction of a two-headed Satan monster he hadn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of slaying.
Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday, a triumphant Donald Trump announced, around 16 hours after he told the world the US, alongside Israel, commenced “major combat operations in Iran.”
Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in History,” and indicated that other members of the regime’s upper echelon might’ve died with the Supreme Leader.
While fully acknowledging Trump’s penchant for one-upping himself in the drama department, this’ll almost surely be the most consequential occasion of 2026, and will rank very highly on any list of momentous 21st century geopolitical events.
The Islamic Republic’s no more. The reign of the ayatollahs is over. The IRGC may well end up presiding over a provisional military government, which is to say it’s not necessarily the case that the entire regime died with Khamenei. But no more will Iranian government be defined by a symbiotic, ride-the-tiger arrangement between a spiritual guru and the army.
In announcing Khamenei’s demise, Trump suggested the IRGC and what remains of Iran’s security forces should lay down their weapons in exchange for immunity from the US and Israel. Then, he said, the military should “peacefully merge” with the Iranian people and “work together as a unit” to restore the country to the “greatness it deserves.”
Look, Trump’s had worse ideas. Like bombing Iran on Saturday. (Sorry. The jokes are as abundant as they are difficult to suppress.)
The IRGC could’ve saved themselves a lot of trouble by orchestrating this “transition” — if that’s what we’re calling the handoff from theocratic, hard autocracy to what’ll probably be indistinguishable initially from military dictatorship — of their own accord.
In other words: The IRGC should’ve given Khamenei his walking papers last month, and spared Iran what’s still likely to be a week’s worth of bombing. But I suppose that would’ve been easier said than done. Not everyone would’ve been on board, and if the plot were discovered, the conspirators would’ve hung.
Anyway, Trump suggested the IRGC get on with it now that the Khamenei’s reunited with Qassem Soleimani, Hassan Nasrallah and the OG himself, Ruhollah Khomeini. “That process should soon be starting,” Trump said, noting that in “only one day,” the US and Israeli militaries “very much destroyed the country.” (Congratulations?)
It should be noted that Khamenei, while certainly not a “good man” on any conventional definition, probably doesn’t rank as highly as Trump suggested on any list of history’s “most evil people.”
I’m reluctant to go much further than that, this being a case where providing a space for nuance could easily be mistaken for ennobling a tyrant whose zealotry was directly responsible for the suffering of millions.
Trump closed his ad hoc Khamenei obituary by demonstrating the usual flagrant disregard for irony that typifies his “peace through strength” foreign policy.
The US, Trump said, will continue to bomb Iran “uninterrupted throughout the week” or anyway “as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Mideast.” (If you didn’t know the source, you’d have a hard time believing that’s a real quote.)
In his final major speech among the living, Khamenei noted Trump’s acknowledgment that the US has been unable to eliminate the Islamic Republic since its inception nearly half a century ago. “That is a good confession,” the Supreme Leader joked. “I say, ‘You, too, will not be able to do this.'”
Would love to hear your take on today’s UN emergency security council meeting.
Russia and China are Seth in the liquor store: “You f–king killed her!” (Somebody will get it.)
Hopefully we will also get a warning to enjoy our remaining years before they abruptly end.
Did someone say Nobel Peace Prize?
The list of Iranian security and defense officials reportedly killed in the decapitation strikes is pretty long. Who’s in charge in Iran now, if anyone?
Hello, is this the White House? I’m John, the Superintendent of Schools for Tehran. I may be next in Seniority – I have no way of knowing. I promise to pay 10% of GDP and agree to all your demands if you will stop bombing us
“The bombings will continue until peace breaks out”
rephrasing of the old saw
What was that Royal Navy saying ” Beatings will continue until morale improves” lol
Have the Israilies(sic) confirmed that they took out Little Khamenie, you know the one whose photo is behind the deceased in recent photos?
This is the fella I was referring to.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojtaba_Khamenei
Let’s face it, if f there were any critical thinkers in Trump’s orbit, we’d all be breathing easier. The best we can hope for is a benevolent dictator that can be bought by western governments.
Indeed. Since 2000 advisors with limited knowledge of the Middle East have been advocating for military operations or open warfare in the region. Exhibit One is how the trio of Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz and Doulas Feith bamboozled Bush II into invading Iraq to get even for the 9/11 attacks. Apparently those neocon “wiz kids” were astonished to learn that there were two branches of Islam which had at war with each other for centuries. Sadly that revelation came after the US already had troops on the ground waiting to be inundated with bouquets of flowers offered by grateful Iraqis.
And who can forget Dick Cheney inviting Ahmed Chalabi to sit with him during two State of the Union addresses? Ooopsie ….
The NYT provides a snapshot of the successors.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/28/world/iran-strikes-trump#ali-khamenei-iran-leader-succession
Next!
By some reports, Khamenei was worth over $200B. So whoever is allowed to control the cash/oil business, will lead the country? Unlikely that the cash will be distributed to the 92M Iranians, but it should be.
Hopefully, oil sanctions are lifted, the Iranian economy improves and that increased wealth can flow to the citizens. The Iranian GDP per capita was only $4,074 in 2025. Down from $4,800 in 2024.
And global oil prices should be dropping, right?
This ain’t no Venezuela, this ain’t no Cuba
This ain’t no fooling around
This ain’t no mudd club, or C.B.G.B.
I ain’t got time for that now
Nice one. 🙂
What’s the over under on Trump showing up somewhere with a gold lettered “Mission Accomplished” banner?
Within 10 days – gotta week of work + a day or two to print the banner .. will hang in the Smithsonian .. best banner ever