Who was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s daughter? Reports claim family members killed in Tehran airstrikes

In the early hours of March 1, Iranian state media reported that members of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s family were among those killed during heavy US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. Among the claims circulating was a deeply personal one - that one of his daughters and a grandchild may have died in the attacks.


But even hours after the reports surfaced, clarity remained elusive. No official confirmation has identified which family members were killed, and independent verification is still missing.

Earlier in the day, Tehran City Council member Meysam Mozaffar told local media that Khamenei’s son-in-law, Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri Kani, and his wife Zahra Haddad Adel were killed in strikes on the capital. Soon after, state outlets suggested that another member of the Supreme Leader’s immediate family - reportedly his daughter - was also among the victims.

So who are Khamenei’s daughters?

Ayatollah Khamenei has two daughters, Boshra Khamenei and Hoda Khamenei. Unlike many political families whose relatives frequently appear in public life, both women have largely stayed away from politics and media attention. For years, very little has been publicly known about them, and that privacy now makes the situation even more uncertain.


Boshra is married to senior cleric Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, a close figure within Iran’s religious establishment. Hoda is married to Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri Kani, the scholar earlier reported among those killed. Beyond these connections, information about the daughters - and Khamenei’s grandchildren - has rarely been shared publicly.


And that silence around the family has always been intentional.


Khamenei’s inner circle has traditionally kept personal matters separate from political life. Family appearances were rare, photographs uncommon, and details minimal. So when reports emerged that a daughter and grandchild had died, questions quickly followed, but answers did not.


Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB later aired an announcement declaring that the Supreme Leader had “reached martyrdom,” praising him as a religious figure who sacrificed his life for the nation. The government subsequently announced a 40-day period of national mourning.


Meanwhile, international leaders added to the confusion. US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that joint US-Israeli operations had killed Khamenei, saying advanced intelligence tracking left Iranian leaders with no way to escape. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated there were “many signs” suggesting the Iranian leader had died.

But inside Iran, reactions appeared mixed. According to CNN, some parts of Tehran reportedly witnessed celebrations after news of Khamenei’s death began circulating - a reminder of how deeply divided public opinion remains.


The strikes themselves were massive in scale. Iranian Red Crescent Society representative Mojtaba Khalidi said attacks hit more than 20 provinces, leaving at least 201 people dead and hundreds injured. Reuters also reported that senior officials, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammed Pakpour and Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh, were among those killed.


And yet, despite the scale of the events, one question still hangs in the air: which of Khamenei’s daughters was actually affected?


For now, the fate of the Supreme Leader’s family - including the reported death of a daughter - remains wrapped in uncertainty, as conflicting reports continue to emerge from a rapidly unfolding and highly sensitive situation.