This morning, Iranian state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred at his office in the joint US-Israeli strikes yesterday. His daughter, son-in-law and grandson were martyred in the same wave of attacks and a 40-day national mourning period has been announced.

Trump made the claim yesterday saying that, ‘one of the most evil people in History, is dead’, adding that, “he [Khamenei] was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do…Hopefully, the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”

Khamenei, 86, had led Iran since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He ruled for more than three decades and held ultimate authority over the government, military and judiciary while serving as the country’s highest religious authority.

Khamenei consolidated the power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), endured sweeping sanctions, and repeatedly insisted Iran’s nuclear programme was civilian. His death is the most dramatic rupture in Iran’s leadership since the revolution.

What happened?

On Saturday around noon, news of the US-Israel airstrikes in Tehran were confirmed. Multiple cities were targeted, including Tehran, Qom, Esfahan and Khoramabad. The Pentagon confirmed its involvement in the strikes, labeling their operation as “Operaton Epic Fury,” and Trump stated that the US had launched “major combat operations” to eliminate threats from Iran and prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Within the hour, Iran confirmed that they would retaliate. Israel soon after, made the first claim, telling Reuters, that Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in the strikes.

By 2PM, Iran had launched missiles towards Israel and explosions were heard in cities in northern Israel.

Iran, then, targeted US based in Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Bahrain and explosions were heard in Doha, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai was hit in a few areas, including a hotel and the airport, but primarily due to drone debris and faced no major casualties.

Iran’s Red Crescent said more than 200 killed and 747 were injured across 24 provinces in Iran, the most devastating hit being on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing 108 people.

A UN emergency session was called and Iran’s ambassador told the UN Security Council that civilians were killed in the Israeli strikes including 100 children in school. 

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 at the UN session, alongside Russia and China, while also condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the Gulf nations.

The biggest question remained as Iran kept denying the news: Was Khamenei dead? Iran said no, adding that Khamenei was alive and ‘commanding the field’.

Earlier this morning, Iranian state media confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred in the strikes.

 

What is happening now and expected?

The latest updates right now is that Iran has announced attacks on 27 US bases in Middle East. Reuters is reporting that the sounds of explosions were heard in Dubai.

According to the Iranian state media, the IRGC has said that it is carrying out a ‘sixth wave of attacks’, with an “extensive missile and drone” attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region.

Iran has claimed that 27 US bases, as well as the Israeli Tel Nof airbase, the Israeli army’s command headquarters at HaKirya in Tel Aviv, and a large defence industrial complex in the same city, were attacked. The forces added that they will, “implement a different and harsh step of revenge, with successive, regrettable slaps”.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has warned its residents not to share the locations of areas hit in Israel by Iran. In a post on X, the Israeli military also said that they should remain in their ‘protective bunkers’ unless told to leave.

New leadership in Iran

A three-person transitional council (president, judiciary chief, Guardian Council jurist) will assume leadership duties as Iran also confirmed that senior Iranian official Ali Shamkhani and the chief of the IRGC, Mohammad Pakpour were also killed.

US-Israel position

Trump has announced “major combat operations” in Iran and that bombing will continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary.” He also said that diplomacy may now be “much easier,” with new Iranian leadership. At home, Trump is being severely criticised over bypassing Congress before launching attacks with Israel.

Global reaction

Several countries have shut their airspace amid missile exchanges as the UN calls for immediate de-escalation. China has called for a halt to military action, Oman says that the negotiations were going well and were undermined and Russia has criticised the US negotiations as a “cover”.