Israel said it launched another wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday after US and Israeli air strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, state media and military sources said, as Iranians faced uncertainty and world leaders urged a return to talks to prevent wider regional escalation.
Iran’s state media confirmed the 86-year-old Khamenei had died hours after US and Israeli officials said an airstrike had killed him as part of a campaign to topple Iran’s government. The Israeli military said the operation was large-scale and carried out by its air force. Iranian state television later reported that Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi and Defence Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh were killed in strikes that targeted a Defence Council meeting; other senior commanders and security officials were also reported dead.
The United States and Israel said they coordinated operations, with Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir saying air force pilots struck “hundreds of targets across Iran.” Iran’s state media and officials vowed retaliation. Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary leadership council would be set up and accused the United States and Israel of seeking to dismember Iran, warning “secessionist groups” against exploiting the situation.
President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Sunday not to retaliate, posting that the United States would hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if it escalated. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened what it called its “most-intense offensive operation” ever, saying it would target Israeli and American bases.
Regional and global reactions and developments
– World leaders, international institutions and religious figures appealed for restraint and a return to dialogue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Khamenei’s death could mean “renewed hope for the people of Iran” but warned of real risks of instability. Leaders in Brussels and elsewhere called for diplomacy to avoid a spiral of violence.
– Pope Leo urged an end to the “spiral of violence,” appealing for moral responsibility and dialogue rather than threats and arms.
– Russia’s President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing as a “cynical” murder and extended condolences, calling it a violation of international law. China’s foreign ministry urged an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations, with state media describing the strikes as “brazen aggression.”
– North Korea’s foreign ministry called the US and Israeli operations “illegal aggression.”
Attacks, interceptions and explosions
– Iran said it fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation; Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain reported intercepting barrages of missiles.
– Several loud blasts were heard over Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha for a second consecutive day, witnesses said, after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states. An explosion was also reported in Tehran as Israel said it was targeting the city’s “heart” and continued strikes aimed at Iran’s ballistic missile and air-defence systems.
– The United Arab Emirates reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones; at least one person was killed and seven wounded after the UAE said it intercepted several Iranian missiles, including an incident involving drones targeting Zayed International Airport. Dubai International Airport and other sites were reported hit in earlier waves.
– Iran’s Cabinet vowed the “great crime” of killing Khamenei would not go unanswered. The Revolutionary Guard said it would mount a massive offensive targeting Israel and American bases.
Casualties, damage and local impacts
– Iranian state media reported multiple senior military and security figures killed, including Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s command (reported in some state accounts as Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour) and security adviser Ali Shamkhani; official tallies and independent verification remained limited amid the fog of conflict.
– Protests and unrest spread in parts of the region. Pakistani police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who breached the outer wall of the US consulate in Karachi; pro-Iranian crowds also gathered outside Baghdad’s Green Zone near the US Embassy. Videos showed burning vehicles and attacks on some UN offices in Pakistan.
– Pakistan suspended nearly 184 international flights to the Middle East amid the crisis, and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) postponed board exams in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, reviewing the situation from March 5.
Diplomatic and practical fallout
– Countries and organisations urged calm and warned of wider contagion across the region. Many governments scrambled to protect citizens and assets. Air traffic and travel plans were disrupted, and regional security alerts were elevated.
– International commentators and officials warned the strikes and subsequent retaliations risked drawing more states into conflict and destabilising an already fragile region.
The situation remained fluid, with conflicting reports and fast-moving developments. World leaders continued to call for de-escalation and negotiations while military actions and retaliatory threats unfolded across Iran, the Gulf and beyond.
