Donald Trump announced Saturday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation, triggering a retaliatory missile barrage from Iran targeting Israel and several Gulf Arab states. The strikes represent the most significant direct assault on Iran in decades.
According to a senior Israeli official, Khamenei’s body has been located. The operation, which Trump characterized as aimed at ending Iran’s decades-long threat and preventing the development of nuclear weapons, involved approximately 200 Israeli fighter jets hitting 500 targets across Iran, including strategic defense systems, Israel’s military stated.
“We are terrified,” Minou, a 32-year-old mother of two, told Reuters by phone from Tabriz, Iran, describing widespread panic following explosions in cities across the country.
Iran responded by launching missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab nations hosting U.S. Bases. The Pentagon reported that hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted, with no U.S. Casualties or injuries. The U.S. Military has designated the campaign “OPERATION EPIC FURY.”
Tehran issued a warning that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil transport, had been closed, prompting expectations of a sharp increase in oil prices and flight cancellations in the Middle East.
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, Ebrahim Jabbari, indicated that Iran’s initial response utilized only “scrap missiles” and that more advanced weaponry would be unveiled soon.
Reports from Iran indicate that Iranian Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were killed in the Israeli attacks, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Iranian media also reported the deaths of Khamenei’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law. A girls’ primary school in Minab, southern Iran, was reportedly struck, resulting in 85 fatalities, according to local state media, though Reuters has not independently verified this claim.
Trump, in a video message, cited the long-standing dispute with Iran, referencing events dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. He urged Iranians to remain sheltered during the bombing and, once the operation concluded, to “take over your government.”
The U.S. President faced criticism from some Democrats and Republicans in Congress, who questioned the legality of a prolonged campaign against Iran without congressional authorization and called for a vote within days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the joint attack “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands” and “remove the yoke of tyranny.”
The strikes come after a period of heightened tension, including mass anti-government demonstrations in Iran in January, which were met with a violent crackdown. Protests had resumed in recent days, commemorating those killed in the previous month’s unrest.
Israeli military operations over the past two years have already resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian military officials and weakened Tehran’s proxy forces in the Middle East. Prior to the current operation, the U.S. And Israel had warned of further strikes if Iran continued its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, accompanied by a U.S. Military buildup in the region.
Eyal Zamir, the Israeli armed forces chief of staff, confirmed that joint battle plans against Iran had been prepared in coordination with senior U.S. Military leaders in recent months.
The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to meet Saturday to address the situation. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
