Israel has intensified its campaign against Iran, with strikes targeting what officials describe as the headquarters of the Iranian regime, according to reports emerging Tuesday. The escalation follows a joint assault with the United States that resulted in the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, directly addressed the Iranian people in Farsi, urging them to protest and “overthrow the regime of fear,” according to reports. Netanyahu stated that the assistance sought by the Iranian people “has now arrived,” referencing the US-Israeli air strikes that have, to date, caused over 555 fatalities in Iran, including 180 deaths at a girls’ school in the country’s south.
The strikes, which began in the morning – a departure from previous nighttime attacks – focused on Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, reportedly destroying the site. Donald Trump claimed Khamenei’s death on Saturday, explicitly stating an intention to effect regime change through bombing and targeted killings, a tactic described as lacking credible justification in international law.
Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at the Department for War Studies at King’s College London, stated that the Israeli authorities’ objective is “clear: a regime change in Iran.” Khamenei had reportedly designated three potential successors last summer and more recently, four layers of succession for key government and military positions, in anticipation of a US-Israeli attack.
Iran responded to the initial attacks by launching ballistic missiles and drones against Israel and US allies and bases in several countries, recognizing what officials described as an existential crisis for the regime. The current Israeli offensive includes attacks on media offices in Iran and Lebanon, and strikes on kantoorgebouwen, or office buildings, associated with state media.
The United States and Israel have not indicated an intention to mount a ground invasion of Iran, but are continuing aerial assaults. The situation remains fluid, with Iranian state media confirming Khamenei’s death early Tuesday morning.
