US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on Iran on Saturday in an operation that officials say targeted military and leadership sites. Iran’s state media and the IRNA news agency confirmed early Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed; the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Khamenei was killed in a strike on his “emergency complex” and framed the action as eliminating a key architect of attacks on Israel and regional proxies.
In response, Tehran announced and began large-scale retaliatory strikes, saying it was targeting 27 US military bases across the Middle East as well as Israeli military command centers and a defense complex in Tel Aviv. Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, called it the Islamic Republic’s “legitimate duty and right” to avenge Khamenei’s killing and said he would lead the country with two other top officials during the transitional period.
The strikes and counterstrikes have produced widespread disruption and damage across the Gulf region:
– Explosions and missile activity were reported over Tehran, Doha (Qatar), Dubai and Manama (Bahrain). Israeli authorities said they struck targets “in the heart of Tehran” as part of efforts to achieve air superiority.
– Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, reported drone and missile strikes. A luxury-boat-view photograph from Dubai showed smoke over the port of Jebel Ali after an attack.
– Oman reported drone strikes on the commercial port of Duqm that injured a port worker and said a Palau-flagged tanker, the Skylight, was attacked off Musandam, leaving four people injured; its 20-person crew (15 Indians, 5 Iranians) was evacuated.
– The UAE urged Iran to stop strikes on its Gulf neighbors, calling the attacks a “miscalculation” that isolates Tehran and warning Iran’s war is not with its neighbors.
– The US Embassy in Muscat urged staff and US citizens to shelter in place amid activity outside Muscat.
Civil unrest and regional fallout:
– Tens of thousands of passengers faced severe travel disruption after airlines canceled or suspended flights to and over the Middle East. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the UAE announced at least partial airspace closures; major carriers including Emirates, Etihad, Air France, Air India, British Airways, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines canceled flights. Doha’s Hamad International and Dubai airports experienced shutdowns or severe restrictions.
– Violent protests erupted outside the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, where hundreds stormed the building after the strikes; local authorities used force to disperse crowds and reported at least nine protesters killed.
– Authorities reported sirens in central Israel as missile barrages were intercepted and air defenses engaged.
Diplomacy and regional reaction:
– The strikes came despite recent US-Iran talks in Geneva mediated by Oman over Tehran’s nuclear program, prompting questions about the future of diplomatic efforts and whether talks had been genuine or undermined by the military operation.
– Analysts and officials have been assessing US objectives announced by President Donald Trump for the operation, including degrading Iran’s military capabilities and changing the clerical regime’s calculus, and whether those aims are achievable given the escalation.
– The UAE and other Gulf states urged de-escalation and warned of broader regional consequences, while Iran framed the killing of its supreme leader as a “declaration of war against Muslims.”
Humanitarian and commercial impacts:
– Airports across the region restricted operations, stranding passengers and disrupting global travel and logistics.
– Ports and commercial infrastructure in the Gulf were reported struck, raising concerns about shipping safety, oil chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, and energy market instability.
– Casualties and damage have been reported in several countries across the Gulf; precise tallies remain fluid as events unfold.
The situation remains highly volatile, with multiple active fronts—air, sea and possibly cyber—and a rapid flow of claims and counterclaims from involved parties. International calls for restraint and concern over wider regional escalation continue amid ongoing military operations and political turmoil following the death of Iran’s supreme leader.