Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been killed in an airstrike in Tehran, according to Ilna news agency on Sunday.
The 69-year-old politician was reportedly at his home in the eastern part of the capital when the strike occurred, accompanied by his bodyguards. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.
Ahmadinejad served two terms as President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, during which he adopted a hardline stance on international affairs, heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme, and made controversial statements about Israel.
Initially, he had the full support of the ruling Shia clergy and hardline conservatives in parliament. However, criticism of his policies intensified over time, particularly regarding his uncompromising approach to the nuclear programme, which led to international sanctions plunging the nation into economic crisis.
His military threats against Israel and denial of the Holocaust contributed to Iran’s isolation on the global stage. Domestically, many of his initial supporters eventually distanced themselves from him.
While once seen as a favourite of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ahmadinejad increasingly became a destabilising figure within Iran’s political system. His efforts to expand the powers of the elected president at the expense of the clergy led to a definitive rift with Khamenei.
In subsequent years, Ahmadinejad was sidelined from Iranian politics, notably barred from running in the presidential elections of 2017, 2021, and 2024.
