Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed early Sunday in a large airstrike on his Tehran compound carried out by forces from the United States and Israel, Iranian state media said, triggering immediate retaliation and deep uncertainty across the region.
President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death hours earlier and characterized the operation as an opportunity for change in Iran. U.S. officials said the strikes targeted Revolutionary Guard command centers, air-defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. Satellite imagery from Airbus showed extensive damage at the complex where state media said the 86-year-old leader was hit.
The U.S. described the operation as carefully planned and said it had been in the works for months; it took place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and at the start of Iran’s workweek. American statements reported no U.S. casualties and described only limited damage to U.S. bases, despite what they termed hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks in response.
Iran responded with vows of retribution. The cabinet called the strikes a ‘‘great crime’’ that ‘‘will never go unanswered,’’ and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened an unprecedented offensive against U.S. and Israeli assets. Tehran launched missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military installations in the region, and exchanges of fire continued into the night.
State outlets and the semiofficial Fars news agency reported that senior security figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard and a close security adviser to Khamenei, were killed in the strikes. Fars also cited unidentified sources saying several of Khamenei’s relatives were among the dead. Israel’s military said it struck scores of targets across Iran and claimed the deaths of senior commanders; Iran’s government disputed some of those claims and said civilian casualties were high.
An Iranian diplomat told the U.N. Security Council that hundreds of civilians had been killed or wounded. Local officials and state media reported multiple civilian deaths in different provinces. Authorities in the south said a strike hit a girls’ school and surrounding buildings, killing at least 115 people, while other local reports cited hits to a sports hall, residential areas, and a school-adjacent hall.
Responses in Iranian cities were mixed. Eyewitnesses told international news agencies that some residents on Tehran rooftops cheered and celebrated, while mourning crowds 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.
Across the wider region, missile and drone launches disrupted commercial flights and triggered air-defense systems over cities including Dubai. Emirati authorities said shrapnel from an Iranian missile strike killed one person. Saudi forces reported intercepting attacks on the capital and eastern regions. Bahrain reported damage near the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters. Kuwait said a drone struck its main international airport and wounded employees, and that shrapnel injured personnel at an air base. Jordan said it intercepted dozens of drones and ballistic missiles, and explosions were reported in Qatar.
The strikes and counterstrikes have stirred alarm among international leaders and market observers. Analysts warned that continued hostilities could threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and could drive volatility in energy markets and beyond.
The U.S. president framed the operation as aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities, and warned of further targeted strikes. Domestically, the U.S. operation drew criticism from some lawmakers who said the action lacked formal congressional authorization; the White House said it had briefed congressional leaders beforehand.
Observers noted that Khamenei’s death could create a significant leadership vacuum in Iran. The supreme leader had long held final authority over major policy, the clerical establishment and the IRGC; analysts say the deaths of several top security figures complicate Tehran’s succession plans and could intensify factional rivalries.
The strikes come against a backdrop of recent domestic unrest in Iran. Authorities had recently suppressed nationwide protests that began over economic grievances and expanded into broader opposition to clerical rule, with rights groups reporting thousands killed in crackdowns.
The human, political and economic consequences of the strikes and the ensuing regional confrontation remain unfolding and uncertain. International diplomats and regional governments urged de-escalation even as both sides signaled readiness for further action.
