Tehran: Iran’s state media confirmed on Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Saturday. The attack prompted Iranian missile strikes on Israel and U.S. targets across the region, raising concerns about escalating conflict.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Israel launched a ‘preemptive’ strike on Saturday morning, deploying approximately 200 fighter jets in airstrikes targeting missile and defense systems in Iran’s western and central regions. Following the Israeli announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that American forces were conducting a ‘massive and ongoing operation’ against Iran’s missile industry.
Iran responded by declaring all U.S. military bases in the region as legitimate targets and launching attacks on Israeli and U.S. assets throughout the Gulf. Explosions were reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps also closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, citing safety concerns due to U.S. and Israeli attacks.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that the strikes impacted at least 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries. A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that up to 160 individuals may have died in a school airstrike in southern Iran. Iran’s president condemned the incident.
In Tehran, missile strikes occurred near the offices of Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. President Trump announced Khamenei’s death in the strikes, which was later confirmed by Iran’s state media. The Iranian government declared a 40-day mourning period in response.
Trump emphasized that the operation aimed to ‘defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats’ from Iran. Similarly, the Israeli Defence Ministry stated that the action’s goal was to ‘remove threats to Israel.’ Analysts suggest this rhetoric indicates a broader intention to instigate government change in Iran through military force.
The operation, named ‘Operation Epic Fury’ by the Pentagon, could continue for days or weeks. Israeli media reported that the planning had been ongoing for months, with the final date set weeks in advance. Before the strikes, the U.S. military presence in the Middle East was at its highest since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Liu Chang, an expert at the China Institute of International Studies, noted that the strikes aim to weaken Iran’s command structure and domestic resistance while using military pressure as leverage in potential negotiations. Al Jazeera cited an unnamed Iranian official stating there are no ‘red lines’ for Iran after the strikes, and that their response will be comprehensive and open-ended.
Iran has called on the United Nations to take action against the strikes, reaffirming its right to self-defense and vowing decisive and immediate responses until the aggression stops. Experts warn that continued escalation could lead Iran to coordinate with regional allies, including Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Iraqi Shiite militias, to target U.S. and Israeli interests.
Trump reiterated that the bombing would continue as necessary to achieve peace in the Middle East and globally. Analysts caution that the situation could escalate into an uncontrollable regional conflict. Adel al-Ghurairi, an Iraqi political analyst, suggested that the strike indicates the belief that military action is the only remaining tool to counter Iran’s nuclear progress.
Gulf countries may face pressure to choose sides, potentially exacerbating existing rivalries. The timing of the strikes may benefit Trump ahead of the U.S. midterm elections and bolster Benjamin Netanyahu’s political prospects. A prolonged conflict could also impact global oil prices and inflation, with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz posing immediate risks to oil supply.