Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly been killed in an air strike in Tehran, according to the country’s official news agency ILNA, as cited by German news agency dpa on Sunday.
Ahmadinejad, 69, was said to have died at his residence in eastern Tehran alongside his personal bodyguard, ILNA reported.
He served as Iran’s president for eight years from 2005 to 2013. At the start of his tenure, he was widely backed by the ruling Shiite clerical establishment as well as hardline and conservative factions in parliament.
However, doubts emerged over his policies toward the end of his time in office.
His nuclear programme drew sweeping international sanctions against Iran, contributing to a severe economic crisis.
Ahmadinejad also faced global criticism, particularly over his anti-Semitic remarks.
During his presidency, Iran became increasingly isolated on the international stage due to military threats against Israel and his denial of the Holocaust.
By the final years of his administration, many of his supporters had distanced themselves from him, with even hardline groups viewing him as a controversial figure.
