Iran launched missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states on Sunday following its vow of massive retaliation after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike.
Iran confirmed Khamenei’s death in the strike on his Tehran office Saturday, an event that raises uncertainty over the future of the Islamic Republic and heightens the risk of regional instability.
The 86-year-old’s death “showed that he consistently stood among the people and at the forefront of his responsibilities, confronting what officials call global arrogance,” Iranian state TV said.
Trump described the killing as giving Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Iran’s Cabinet vowed the “great crime will never go unanswered,” while the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened its “most intense offensive operation” ever, targeting U.S. and Israeli bases.
“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”
“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before,” Trump responded on social media. “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
Iran’s top Revolutionary Guard commander, senior security adviser killed in US-Israeli strikes
Iran retaliates
Following the initial airstrikes, Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The Israeli military said dozens of Iranian missiles were fired at Israel, many intercepted. Magen David Adom reported that a woman in the Tel Aviv area died after being wounded in the attack.
Air traffic across the Middle East was disrupted as explosions and air defense fire continued over Dubai into Sunday morning. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile struck the UAE capital, killing one person, while debris from interceptions caused fires at the city’s main port and on the facade of the Burj Al Arab hotel.
The U.S.-Israel strike marks a major escalation in American military intervention, with potential for retaliatory violence and wider conflict. It represents a significant demonstration of force by a U.S. president who campaigned on “America First” and promised to avoid “forever wars.”
Khamenei’s death, the second strike on Iran under Trump’s second term, creates a leadership vacuum, as no known successor has been publicly designated. He had the final authority over all major policies and led both Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said.
Iran quickly formed a council to govern until a new supreme leader is chosen. State media reported the deaths of the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser to Khamenei in the airstrikes. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour succeeded the Guard’s previous commander, killed by Israel last June. Adviser Ali Shamkhani was a key figure in Iran’s security establishment, IRNA reported.
Iran warns ‘great crime’ will not go unanswered after Khamenei killed
Eyewitnesses in Tehran said some residents celebrated Khamenei’s death, cheering from rooftops and blowing whistles, while mourners raised a black flag over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. The government declared 40 days of public mourning and a seven-day nationwide holiday.
Citing unidentified sources, the semi-official Fars news agency reported several relatives of Khamenei, including a daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and grandchild, were also killed.
Strikes were planned for months
Officials said the joint U.S.-Israel operation, planned for months, occurred Saturday during Ramadan and the start of Iran’s workweek. The strike followed stalled negotiations, with Trump framing it as necessary to prevent Iran’s nuclear program resurgence.
About 12 hours after the attacks began, the U.S. military reported no American casualties and minimal damage at U.S. bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.” Targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard facilities, air defenses, missile and drone sites, and airfields.
Israel reported killing the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the defense minister, and Khamenei’s security council secretary, a close adviser.
An Iranian diplomat told the U.N. Security Council that hundreds of civilians were killed or injured. Iran retaliated with missiles and drones against Israel and U.S. bases, and exchanges of fire continued into the night.
Some strikes hit near Khamenei’s office. Israeli officials confirmed his death, later confirmed by Trump.
Democrats criticized Trump for acting without congressional approval, though White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said leaders from both parties were briefed in advance.
Tensions soar as US builds up forces
Tensions escalated as the U.S. deployed the largest Middle East military force in decades. Trump insisted he sought a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program amid growing domestic unrest.
Despite declaring Iran’s nuclear program destroyed last year, U.S. officials said Iran was rebuilding, developing the capability to produce high-quality centrifuges needed for enriched uranium. Iran maintained its uranium enrichment rights while attempting to prevent inspectors from visiting bombed sites.
Khamenei dead in strike, Iranian media confirm
Operation coordination and casualties
Israel said the strike was coordinated with the U.S. Air Force pilots hit “hundreds of targets across Iran,” including military, government, and intelligence sites. Trump acknowledged possible U.S. casualties, saying, “that often happens in war,” and warned the Revolutionary Guard to surrender or face “certain death.”
In southern Iran, at least 115 people were killed in a girls’ school strike, with dozens more wounded, state TV reported. IRNA cited 15 deaths in the southwest, including a sports hall, two residential areas, and a hall near a school.
Regional impact
The attacks could disrupt global markets, especially if Iran threatens the Strait of Hormuz, through which a third of worldwide oil passed in 2025. Saudi Arabia said it repelled Iranian attacks on its capital and eastern region. Bahrain reported a missile strike on the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, damaging three buildings. Kuwait said a drone struck its main airport, injuring employees, and shrapnel hit Ali Al-Salem air base. Explosions were also reported in Qatar, while Jordan said it “dealt with” 49 drones and ballistic missiles.