Big Question in Iran: Is Ahmadinejad Alive?

The US-Israeli assault on Iran killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei almost immediately. But the fate of another person whose name is familiar to Westerners—former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—remains unclear. The Jerusalem Post and the UK's Telegraph cited a report in a pro-regime outlet (the Iranian Labor News Agency) suggesting that Ahmadinejad was killed in a Saturday strike on his residence in northeast Tehran. But the Turkish news agency Anadolu then quoted a person it described as close to the former president as disputing that.

"I am in touch with him. All is good," the aide is quoted as saying, adding that a strike killed three of Ahmadinejad's bodyguards, but not the president. Another international outlet, Sputnik, quoted Ahmadinejad's press secretary as saying he is "healthy and safe." Iran's government has not put out an official statement clarifying the situation, notes the Times of Israel, nor has Israel or the US. Ahmadinejad served as president from 2005 to 2013 and has since served in advisory roles to the Iranian government.