Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in a joint American-Israeli operation, Iran’s state media confirmed, after a large wave of airstrikes early Saturday. The Iranian government announced 40 days of mourning.
Israel said top Iranian security officials were among the dead, including the defense minister, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the secretary of Iran’s Security Council; Iranian state media has confirmed those deaths. A person briefed on the operation told NPR that Khamenei was hit and later said he was killed by an Israeli strike; that source spoke on background because they were not authorized to discuss the operation publicly.
Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Israel, with U.S. support, had killed Khamenei, and later warned Iran against retaliation: “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” In an eight-minute video posted Saturday, Trump said the U.S. objective was to defend Americans by eliminating “imminent threats from the Iranian regime” and urged Iranians to take shelter during the strikes and then “take over your government” once bombing ceased.
The initial U.S. and Israeli airstrikes — termed “Epic Fury” by the Pentagon and “Roaring Lion” by Israel — began at sunrise, with explosions and large plumes of smoke over Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the attacks a “gross violation” of its sovereignty and said both military and civilian sites were hit. The Iranian Red Crescent reported more than 200 people killed in strikes across the country. Iranian authorities said one strike hit a girls’ primary school in southern Iran, killing at least 85 children, with more believed buried under rubble; NPR is seeking comment from Israeli officials on that report.
U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told NPR the U.S. was aware of reports of civilian harm and was investigating, saying the protection of civilians is paramount and that, unlike Iran, the U.S. “will never — target civilians.” Iran has responded with missile and drone launches, spreading the conflict regionally. Air raid sirens sounded in Israel as missiles targeted Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; Israeli rescue services reported one person killed and 121 injured in the first 24 hours. Several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, reported Iranian strikes or interceptions. Jordan said it downed 49 drones and ballistic missiles. In Dubai, smoke rose from the international airport and port, and debris from intercepted drones caused injuries in a residential area. Bahrain said an Iranian strike hit the U.S. naval base that hosts the Fifth Fleet; the UAE said it intercepted missiles and that shrapnel from one killed a foreign national in Abu Dhabi.
Israeli forces said they completed the largest air operation in their history, with roughly 200 fighter jets striking about 500 targets in western and central Iran, including air defenses and missile launchers. An Israeli official said U.S. and Israeli forces spent months building a target bank and struck three separate gatherings of senior Iranian officials simultaneously. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the objective was to remove what he called an existential threat posed by Iran and added that the joint action would create conditions for the Iranian people to decide their future.
The strikes followed weeks of escalating tensions and a major U.S. military buildup in the region. The U.S. had been trying to negotiate limits on Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump said talks failed and framed the military action as part of a campaign to topple Iran’s religious leadership, which has ruled since the 1979 revolution. He declared plans to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” and told the Revolutionary Guard Corps to surrender with promises of immunity or face death.
Nuclear experts and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said there is no evidence Iran had resumed uranium enrichment; Trump has asserted otherwise in past statements. Analysts note it would be extremely difficult to topple Iran’s government with air power alone and that there was no sign the U.S. planned to deploy ground troops.
Iranian officials and lawmakers denounced the strikes. The speaker of Iran’s parliament called U.S. and Israeli leaders “filthy criminals” who will face “devastating blows.” Iranian security forces moved through neighborhoods, and residents described panic and attempts to reach homes as communications were cut. Earlier domestic unrest had seen brutal crackdowns on protests; a U.S.-based rights news agency said more than 7,000 people were killed during that crackdown, while Trump cited an unverified figure of 32,000.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned both the strikes and Iran’s retaliatory actions, warning of a grave threat to international peace and security and urging a return to peaceful settlement and dialogue.
Israel closed its airspace and activated civil defense protocols; a 48-hour national emergency was declared and air raid sirens sounded across the country. Hospitals moved operations to fortified compounds. Regional militaries remain on high alert as the situation continues to evolve. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president had spoken with leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
