Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president whose time in office was closely associated with Tehran’s confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, was killed in Israeli-U.S. airstrikes on Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026, according to Iranian reports. He was 69.
Iran’s ILNA news agency was cited as reporting that Ahmadinejad was killed during the strikes in Tehran. Reports described an attack in the Narmak area of the capital, in northeast Tehran, and said he died along with members of his security detail.
Accounts differed on whether the strike hit Ahmadinejad’s residence. Some reports said the attack struck his home in Narmak, while other reporting described a building linked to his former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps security unit being hit in the same area, with a source disputing that it was his residence. The reports nevertheless placed the circumstances of his death in the Narmak district.
Ahmadinejad served as president from 2005 to 2013, a period marked by heightened international pressure and sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear activities. He was identified during those years with hard-line messaging and support for an expanded nuclear program, contributing to a prolonged standoff between Tehran and Western governments.
After leaving office, he remained within Iran’s political establishment and was appointed in 2013 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to the Expediency Discernment Council, an influential body that advises on disputes and long-term policy direction among state institutions.