Iran carried out a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Sunday targeting Israel and U.S. military installations across the region, according to state media. The strikes were described as retaliation for a large-scale U.S.–Israeli operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iranian state television reported that 27 U.S. bases in the region were targeted, along with Israel’s military headquarters and a defense industry complex in Tel Aviv. In a statement broadcast on state TV, Iran’s armed forces said its air force had “successfully bombed U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf countries and the Kurdistan region of Iraq” in multiple phases.
Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed in what was described as the opening stage of a coordinated U.S. and Israeli assault. His death was confirmed by Iranian state television early Sunday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the killing of the 86-year-old cleric.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards pledged to launch what they called the “most ferocious” retaliation in history against Israel and U.S. interests in the region. Explosions were reported in Doha, Dubai, and Manama, while warning sirens sounded across central Israel as its military responded to incoming missile fire.
President Trump warned that further Iranian retaliation would trigger a response “like never seen before,” reiterating his position that pressure would continue until the fall of the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian public, urging them to rise against their leadership.
Inside Iran, reactions were mixed. While some residents were reported celebrating initial developments, thousands later gathered in Tehran’s Enghelab Square dressed in black, chanting anti-U.S. slogans.
Iran’s Red Crescent said the earlier strikes had killed more than 200 people and left hundreds injured. The judiciary confirmed the deaths of senior officials, including top military figures and advisors close to Khamenei. Other leaders vowed a decisive response, warning that the United States and Israel had “crossed red lines” and would face consequences.
Amid escalating hostilities, attention has also turned to Iran’s political future. State television reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials would oversee the country during a transitional period. Meanwhile, opposition figure Reza Pahlavi argued that any successor emerging from within the current system would lack legitimacy.
The situation marks a dramatic escalation in regional tensions, raising concerns about a broader conflict across the Middle East.
