February 28, 2026: Assassination of Ali Khamenei (plus his wife, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren, among others)
Assassinating a foreign leader and chief religious leader constitutes a war crime both in federal and international law and is virtually unprecedented in American history.
wiki:
Assassination of Ali Khamenei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei
On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes around Tehran aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confirmed by the Iranian government on 1 March.
The Fars News Agency announced that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, three of his grandchildren, and daughter-in-law had also been killed in the strikes. Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, died from her injuries on 2 March.
The Hill (June 2025):
Assassinating a foreign leader is illegal. Will Trump try anyway?
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5363701-assassinating-a-foreign-leader-is-illegal-will-trump-try-anyway/
In an address to the nation Friday night, Trump said, “There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
So we have to take seriously Trump’s astounding message to the world from a week or so ago, when he said he had rejected a proposal from Israel to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Truth Social, Trump pursued the point: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target but is safe there — we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” This left the option to assassinate the Supreme Leader on the table.
That should have been an “are you serious?” moment, even for Trump. Heads of state and heads of government just about never decide to kill each other, even in wartime. For if you to do it to them, then they may do it to you. And assassination is illegal under international law.
There would be tremendous risks in taking out Khamenei. Going after a man who is seen to be both holy as well as a political leader would make the regime more popular internally. It would transform Khamenei into a martyr. And the U.S. going after a foreign leader, however despicable he may be, is a red line that we don’t cross.