U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday that the United States would strike Iran with unprecedented force if the country retaliated for the American-Israeli attack that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The statement, delivered via Trump’s Truth Social platform, came as Iran reportedly launched strikes across the Gulf, including in Abu Dhabi and near U.S. Military bases in the region.
“Iran just stated that We see going to attack very strongly today, stronger than it has ever attacked before,” Trump wrote. “BETTER NOT DO IT, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE UNLIKE ANYTHING THEY HAVE EVER SEEN!”
The campaign of airstrikes conducted by the U.S. And Israel, described as the most significant military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, confirmed the death of Khamenei, according to Iranian state television. Trump indicated that American bombing would continue “as long as necessary,” and characterized Khamenei’s death as offering Iranians their “greatest chance” to take power from the current regime.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting the U.S. Aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, a claim that has not yet been independently verified. The IRGC also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to navigation, citing the dangers posed by ongoing U.S. And Israeli attacks.
The Danish shipping company Maersk responded by suspending all vessel passages through the Strait of Hormuz. A separate report from Iranian television indicated that a tanker was “sinking” in the strait, though details remain scarce.
A newly formed Iranian “provisional leadership council” has begun its work, according to Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian, along with the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeï, and Alireza Arafi, comprise the council tasked with overseeing the transition of power. Pezeshkian stated the council would continue the work of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, and vowed to “crush the bases of the enemy with force.”
An attack by a drone caused a fire at a naval base in Abu Dhabi Sunday afternoon, according to reports. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing strikes reported throughout the Gulf region.
