Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, was killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian state media reported.

Reports said the 69-year-old was killed in Narmak, eastern Tehran, when it was struck multiple times in the first day of attacks that also led to the death of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.

However, some Iranian Telegram channels posted a statement attributed to Ahmadinejad after his reported death, in which he hit out at US and Israeli “aggression” – suggesting he was still alive.

The conflicting reports could not be independently verified because of Iran’s near-total internet blackout, but state media did not change its initial report about Ahmadinejad’s death.

Air strikes on Iran continued on Sunday, while Tehran fired missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf states in retaliation.

Hotels and a French naval base were among the targets in Abu Dhabi, and a high-tech radar station in Bahrain was also struck.

At least 66 missiles were fired at Qatar, where the US has its largest base, and 16 people were injured by falling shrapnel.

Ahmadinejad, the former populist leader, oversaw two turbulent terms between 2005 and 2013, which saw Iran crippled by Western sanctions.

He also presided over the brutal suppression of the 2009 Green Movement protests and ushered in a stand-off with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme, dismissing US sanctions as “worthless papers”, despite their crippling impact on Iranians.

After leaving office, Ahmadinejad increasingly positioned himself as a critic of the system he once championed, questioning corruption, calling for political prisoners’ release and challenging the legitimacy of Iran’s power structure.

According to Iranian authorities, up to 201 people were killed and 747 injured across 24 Iranian provinces on Saturday.

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