Israeli forces, with U.S. Support, killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, in a strike on Saturday, triggering a wave of retaliatory attacks and escalating tensions across the Middle East. The White House confirmed Khamenei’s death, with President Trump calling for the overthrow of the Iranian regime.
The Israeli military stated its forces were responsible for the killing of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who had held power since 1989. Iran’s government subsequently announced 40 days of mourning. The strikes targeted ballistic missile sites and Iranian warships, according to U.S. Officials, with B-2 stealth bombers deploying 2,000-pound bombs against ballistic missile facilities. Trump claimed on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and the Iranian navy’s headquarters “largely destroyed.”
Iran responded by launching missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. Service members – the first American casualties reported in the conflict. In Israel, nine people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike on a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, bringing the country’s overall death toll to 11, with eleven people still missing.
The attacks extended beyond Israel, with Iranian strikes hitting hotels, airports, and other sites in Gulf Arab states. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting most missiles and drones, but some caused damage and resulted in three deaths. Bahrain and Kuwait also reported strikes on civilian targets.
Britain has agreed to allow the United States to utilize its bases, located on Cyprus and the Chagos Islands, to strike Iranian missile sites, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. France and Germany indicated their willingness to operate with the U.S. To halt Iranian attacks.
The weekend’s attacks mark the second time in eight months that the U.S. And Israel have jointly targeted Iran, following a 12-day conflict last June that weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership, and nuclear program.
A new leadership council has begun its work in Iran, according to President Masoud Pezeshkian. The country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that a new supreme leader would be chosen within “one or two days.” Araghchi, in a letter to the United Nations, accused the U.S. And Israel of initiating the conflict and warned of escalating instability.
In Tehran, streets were largely deserted as residents sheltered during airstrikes, with the paramilitary Basij establishing checkpoints throughout the city, witnesses reported. Explosions were heard in the Niavaran neighborhood, and the state-run IRNA news agency reported damage to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building. IRNA also reported at least 165 people killed when a girls’ school was struck in southern Iran, though the Israeli military stated it was unaware of any strikes in that area.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi blamed the U.S. And Israel for starting the war and urged Gulf countries to pressure them to stop. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf vowed “devastating blows” in a televised address.
Hezbollah launched missiles across the border into Israel, prompting Israeli strikes on Beirut. This marked the first Hezbollah claim of a strike against Israel in over a year.
Trump warned against retaliation, stating on social media, “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
