Fighting has spread rapidly across the Middle East after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Saturday.
Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to rise against their government. In response, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Lebanon’s Iran-backed group Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel, which retaliated with airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
The US and Israel targeted Iran’s missile facilities, military sites, and senior officials. The destruction of his Tehran compound killed Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989. Several top Iranian leaders, including Defence Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, Defence Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, and IRGC commander Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, also died. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) appointed Ahmad Vahidi as its new commander-in-chief.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 555 deaths across 130 locations, including over 150 near a school in southern Iran. Internet access was nearly cut off, and Iranian airspace was closed, though Iran retained the ability to launch retaliatory strikes.
Additional US and Israeli strikes hit Tehran and other areas on Sunday. President Trump claimed Iran’s naval headquarters had been destroyed, and the US Central Command later said 11 Iranian ships were sunk in the Gulf of Oman. Trump framed the operations as preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and again urged Iranians to overthrow their government. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strikes necessary to eliminate an “existential threat,” while Iran condemned them as illegal.
Iran responded with missiles and drones targeting Israel, US-allied countries, a British base in Cyprus, and ships near its coast. The strikes claimed the lives of nine civilians in Beit Shemesh and targeted military and government sites in several countries. Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel to avenge Khamenei, prompting Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Authorities warned residents in 50 villages to evacuate in anticipation of more attacks.
At least six US servicemen have died, and 18 were seriously injured. The military described the shooting down of three US fighter jets over Kuwait as a friendly fire accident. Hundreds of Iranians, including children, have been killed. Rescue teams are still working in harsh conditions. Travel and shipping in the region have been badly disrupted, with many flights canceled or delayed. Iranian attacks on Saudi oil sites and Qatar’s gas facilities have pushed oil and gas prices higher.
Iran warned ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, raising concerns about worldwide fuel costs.
Amid the violence, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned both the US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
He said the airstrikes violated international law, including the UN Charter, and called for an immediate return to negotiations to prevent the region and the world from sliding into a wider war.
Several European leaders expressed concern and called for calm. In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said the situation in Iran is very serious. They said Europe wants to keep the region safe and stable. They also urged everyone to protect nuclear sites and stop the fighting. The leaders called on all sides to follow international law and act with restraint.
Donald Trump said the military operations could continue for four to five weeks, or even longer. He said the attacks may continue for some time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will carry out more strikes if needed. He said the country will act to protect its security. The situation in the region is still very tense. Missiles, drones, and airstrikes are raising the risk of a larger war. The conflict is affecting people in the region. It is also worrying other countries.
