US and Israeli forces carried out large strikes on Iran late Saturday, targeting military and leadership sites, and Iran’s state media and the IRNA news agency reported early Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, had been killed. The Israeli Defense Forces said Khamenei was killed in an attack on an emergency complex, describing the operation as removing a central architect of attacks on Israel and its regional proxies.
Tehran responded with broad retaliatory strikes, announcing attacks on 27 US military bases across the Middle East as well as Israeli command centers and a defense facility in Tel Aviv. Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, called vengeance for Khamenei’s killing a legitimate duty of the Islamic Republic and said he would govern alongside two other senior officials during the transition.
Reported effects across the Gulf region included:
– Explosions, missile launches and air activity over Tehran, Doha, Dubai and Manama. Israeli authorities said some strikes hit targets in central Tehran as part of efforts to establish air superiority.
– Multiple Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, reported drone and missile strikes. In Dubai, photographs from the port of Jebel Ali showed smoke rising after an attack.
– Oman reported drone strikes against the commercial port of Duqm that injured a worker and said the Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was attacked off Musandam, wounding four people; the vessel’s 20-person crew (15 Indians, five Iranians) was evacuated.
– The UAE urged Iran to stop strikes on neighboring countries, calling the attacks a miscalculation that isolates Tehran and warning that its conflict is not with Gulf states.
– The US Embassy in Muscat told staff and US citizens to shelter in place as activity continued near Muscat.
Civil unrest and disruptions:
– Tens of thousands of travelers were affected 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 routes or limited operations. Doha’s Hamad International and Dubai airports faced shutdowns or severe restrictions.
– Violent protests erupted outside the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, where hundreds reportedly stormed the building following the strikes; local authorities used force to disperse crowds and reported at least nine protesters killed.
– Sirens sounded in central Israel as missile barrages were intercepted and air defenses engaged.
Diplomatic and strategic implications:
– The strikes occurred despite recent US-Iran talks in Geneva mediated by Oman over Tehran’s nuclear program, raising questions about the future of diplomacy and whether negotiations were genuine or undermined by concurrent military action.
– Analysts and officials are assessing US objectives described by President Donald Trump for the operation, including degrading Iran’s military capabilities and altering the regime’s calculations, and whether those goals are attainable amid rapid escalation.
– Gulf states and other international actors urged de-escalation and warned of wider regional consequences, while Iran framed the killing of its supreme leader as a declaration of war against Muslims.
Humanitarian and commercial impacts:
– Airport closures and flight cancellations stranded passengers and disrupted global travel and logistics.
– Reports of strikes on ports and commercial infrastructure raised concerns about shipping safety, threats to oil chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, and potential energy market instability.
– Casualty figures and damage reports emerged from multiple countries in the Gulf; precise tallies remain fluid as events continue to be reported.
The situation remains highly volatile, with active operations reported across air, sea and possibly cyber domains and a rapid flow of claims and counterclaims from the parties involved. International calls for restraint continue amid ongoing military activity and political upheaval following the confirmed death of Iran’s supreme leader.