The Middle East remained tense for a second consecutive day on Sunday after the United States and Israel carried out what they called a precise and large-scale operation inside Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several members of his family.
A series of powerful explosions struck Tehran, with the Israeli military confirming it was targeting sites in the capital. Videos circulating online showed heavy smoke rising over central areas of the city.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they fired four ballistic missiles at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. However, US Central Command said the missile did not come close to the vessel, which continues operating in the region.
Reports said the Israel Defense Forces, acting on intelligence, dropped around 30 bombs on a complex where Khamenei, Defence Minister Amir Naserzadeh and Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour were meeting on Saturday. All were killed in the strike.
The US military also confirmed that three American service members were killed and five seriously injured during Operation Epic Fury, marking the first reported US casualties since the surprise joint attack on Iran.
In retaliation, Iran launched missile barrages at multiple targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US forces. Explosions were reported in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama. Overall, about 13 people were reported killed across the region, including nine in Israel, three in the UAE and one in Kuwait.
Israel later stated that it had neutralised most of Iran’s aerial defence systems in western and central areas, saying the strikes were aimed at securing air superiority over Tehran.
One major explosion in Tehran, near areas housing the police headquarters, state television, the Revolutionary Court and a Defence Ministry building, produced a large plume of smoke and shook nearby neighbourhoods.
Air travel across the region was severely disrupted, with air defence activity heard over Dubai, long considered a safe commercial hub. Blasts continued into Sunday morning.
Global leaders called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Washington and Tehran to resume nuclear discussions, emphasising a diplomatic solution.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran against retaliating further, saying any such move would trigger an unprecedented response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed directly to the Iranian public, urging them to rise up and remove the current leadership.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Khamenei’s killing as a cynical act that violated moral and legal norms, while China described it as unacceptable.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iran appointed senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as interim Supreme Leader under Article 111 of the Constitution, activating an emergency mechanism in which a three-member council temporarily assumes the Supreme Leader’s authority until a permanent successor is selected.
