News organizations reported the iran leader death after a joint US and Israeli strike struck a compound in downtown Tehran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israeli officials said.
Israeli authorities told Fox News that the opening strike killed 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures, and a senior US defense official said Washington agrees that Khamenei and several other top leaders were killed, estimating five to ten senior figures were among the dead, according to Fox News Digital.
The United States named its part of the campaign Operation Epic Fury and Israel called its mission Operation Roaring Lion, both media accounts said. The Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force struck targets in western and central Iran and, for the first time in the operation, hit targets in the heart of Tehran, posting video of airstrikes on military headquarters.
CENTCOM released images of aircraft and naval forces involved and a US defense official told Fox News that the US used Tomahawk cruise missiles, HIMARS, standoff weapons and drones while deploying Patriot and THAAD batteries for air defense.
Both outlets described heavy Iranian retaliatory fire. Fox News reported Iran had launched roughly 300 missiles by Saturday afternoon and that allied defenses intercepted many incoming projectiles. The second account said Iran struck US bases and Gulf states, and that countries including the UAE and Bahrain reported missile and drone attacks, with the UAE defense ministry saying hundreds of projectiles struck its territory.
Regional Fallout Reactions And Political Responses
Regional governments and international institutions reacted with alarm as the conflict spread. The UN Secretary General condemned the military escalation and called for immediate cessation of hostilities, according to Fox News Digital. Russia called the targeted killing a cynical murder and said it violated international norms, as reported in the second account.
Iran announced a leadership council to assume responsibilities under the constitution after Khamenei’s death, naming Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and judiciary head Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei to the provisional body, the second account reported.
Diplomatic and security consequences intensified. US embassies issued shelter in place and travel advice in the region, and some Gulf states reported damage from intercepted strikes. In Pakistan tens of thousands of protesters gathered at US consular sites and CNN reported fatalities during attacks on the US consulate in Karachi.
In Washington lawmakers from both parties pushed for briefings and legal checks. Senators and representatives demanded War Powers votes and classified briefings, with Tim Kaine and others preparing resolutions to limit further US military action, according to Fox News Digital. Domestic political figures issued a mix of support for the strikes and calls for congressional oversight.
Civilian casualty claims are under review. CENTCOM said it was investigating reports that a girls school in southern Iran was struck and media outlets noted differing casualty counts inside Iran, while emergency services on both sides assessed damage and injuries, as reported by the sources.
