Author: Admin

The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at age 86 marks the end of a 36-year reign that transformed Iran into a formidable anti-American power while expanding its military reach throughout the Middle East, even as he brutally suppressed domestic opposition.

Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei died Saturday in combined airstrikes by Israel and the United States that destroyed his central Tehran headquarters, following the collapse of decades-long diplomatic attempts to resolve Iran’s nuclear program peacefully.

Initially viewed as weak and indecisive, Khamenei appeared an improbable successor to the charismatic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who established Iran’s Islamic Republic. However, Khamenei’s ascension to the nation’s highest position gave him complete control over Iranian politics.

Karim Sadjadpour from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace described Khamenei to Reuters as “an accident of history” who transformed from “a weak president to an initially weak supreme leader to one of the five most powerful Iranians of the last 100 years.”

Throughout his leadership, the ayatollah maintained constant criticism of Washington, continuing his attacks even after Donald Trump began his second presidential term in 2025.

During recent protests sweeping Iran with chants like “Death to the dictator,” and as Trump threatened intervention, Khamenei declared in January that Iran would never “yield to the enemy.”

This statement exemplified the intensely anti-Western position Khamenei held since taking power in 1989.

By preserving Khomeini’s hardline approach, Khamenei consistently blocked the goals of various independently-minded elected presidents who pursued more moderate domestic and international policies.

Critics argue this approach guaranteed Iran’s international isolation.

ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY

For years, Khamenei rejected Western claims that Iran’s nuclear program aimed to create atomic weapons. In 2015, he reluctantly endorsed a nuclear agreement between global powers and pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani’s administration that limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. This hard-fought deal partially ended Iran’s economic and political isolation.

However, Khamenei’s anti-American sentiment remained unchanged, growing stronger in 2018 when Trump’s first presidency abandoned the nuclear agreement and restored sanctions that devastated Iran’s oil and shipping sectors.

After America’s withdrawal, Khamenei aligned with hardline supporters who attacked Rouhani’s conciliatory Western policies.

When Trump pressured Iran for a new nuclear agreement in 2025, Khamenei criticized “the rude and arrogant leaders of America.” “Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” he demanded.

Khamenei regularly condemned “the Great Satan” in public addresses, satisfying hardliners who viewed anti-American hostility as central to the 1979 revolution that expelled Iran’s last shah.

Iran experienced significant student-led demonstrations in 1999 and 2002. However, Khamenei faced his greatest challenge in 2009, when disputed presidential election results he had endorsed sparked violent street protests, creating a legitimacy crisis that persisted until his death.

In 2022, Khamenei suppressed protesters outraged by the death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who died while detained by morality police in September that year.

Confronting some of the most severe unrest since the revolution, Khamenei blamed Western adversaries before ordering protester executions and displaying their bodies hanging from cranes after months of demonstrations.

The Iranian people understood the message clearly.

As supreme leader, Khamenei wielded absolute power. He controlled massive authority, including military command and the right to select numerous senior officials, such as judicial heads, security agency leaders, and state media directors.

He placed allies in command of the elite Revolutionary Guards.

As Iran’s ultimate decision-maker in its complicated system combining clerical rule and restricted democracy, Khamenei worked to prevent any faction, including close supporters, from gaining sufficient power to oppose him and his anti-American position.

International scholars described him as a secretive ideologue afraid of betrayal — fears intensified by a 1981 assassination attempt that permanently damaged his right arm.

Global organizations and activists consistently condemned human rights violations in Iran. Tehran claimed it maintained the best human rights record in the Muslim world.

UNEXPECTED PATH TO POWER

Born in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, in April 1939, Ali Khamenei showed early religious dedication by becoming a cleric at age 11. He pursued studies in Iraq and Qom, Iran’s religious center.

His father, a religious scholar with ethnic Azeri background, was a traditional cleric who opposed combining religion and politics. Conversely, his son embraced the Islamist revolutionary movement.

“He (Khamenei’s father) came across as a modernist or progressive cleric,” explained Mahmoud Moradkhani, a nephew who opposes Khamenei’s leadership and lives in exile. Unlike his son, “he was not a part of the fundamentalists,” Moradkhani stated.

In 1963, at 24, Khamenei began his first of multiple imprisonments for political activities. Later that year, he spent 10 days in a Mashhad prison where he endured severe torture, according to his official biography.

Following the shah’s overthrow, Khamenei assumed various positions in the Islamic Republic. As deputy defense minister, he developed military connections and played a crucial role in the 1980-88 war with Iraq, which killed an estimated one million people total.

A gifted speaker, Khomeini appointed him as Friday prayer leader in Tehran.

Questions surrounded his rapid, unusual advancement. He secured the presidency with Khomeini’s backing — becoming the first cleric in that role — and was a surprising selection as Khomeini’s successor, lacking both Khomeini’s popular support and superior religious qualifications.

GROWING REGIONAL POWER

His Revolutionary Guards relationships proved valuable in 2009, when the force crushed protests following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election amid opposition claims of electoral fraud.

He also controlled a massive financial network through Setad, an organization Khomeini established but Khamenei greatly expanded, accumulating assets worth tens of billions of dollars.

Khamenei extended Iranian power regionally, strengthening Shiite militias in Iraq and Lebanon, and supporting then-President Bashar al-Assad by sending thousands of troops to Syria.

Over four decades, he invested billions in these partners — the “Axis of Resistance,” including Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist organization, and Yemen’s Houthis — to counter Israeli and American influence in the Middle East.

However, in 2024, Khamenei watched these partnerships collapse and Iran’s regional power diminish, with Assad’s removal and Israel’s successive victories against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, including eliminating their leaders.

Under Khamenei’s leadership, Iran and Israel conducted a covert war for years, with Israel assassinating Tehran’s nuclear scientists and Revolutionary Guard commanders.

This conflict became public during Israel’s Gaza war against Hamas starting in 2023. In April 2024, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel after it attacked Tehran’s embassy compound in Damascus. Israel retaliated by striking Iranian territory.

This was merely preparation for June 2025, when Israel’s military deployed hundreds of fighter jets against Iranian nuclear and military facilities and senior personnel. The surprise assault triggered massive missile exchanges, escalating simmering tensions into full warfare. The United States joined the 12-day air campaign against Iran.

The United States and Israel had threatened additional strikes if Iran continued its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and on Saturday, they executed the most extensive attack on Iranian targets in decades.

Discussions between American and Iranian representatives occurred as recently as Thursday, but senior U.S. officials reported Iran’s unwillingness to abandon uranium enrichment capabilities, which Iranians claimed supported nuclear energy but Americans said enabled nuclear weapon development.

Diplomatically, Khamenei rejected any normalization with the United States. He claimed Washington supported extremist groups like Islamic State to fuel regional sectarian conflict.

Like all Iranian officials, Khamenei denied nuclear weapon development intentions and issued an Islamic ruling, or fatwa, in the mid-1990s regarding “production and usage” of nuclear weapons, declaring: “It is against our Islamic thoughts.”

He also endorsed Khomeini’s 1989 fatwa calling on Muslims to kill Indian-born author Salman Rushdie following publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

Khamenei’s official website confirmed the death order’s continued validity as recently as 2017. Five years later, Rushdie was stabbed during a New York public lecture. The author suffered serious injuries but survived. The attacker, sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2025 for attempted murder, remained silent during trial.

The deceased ayatollah leaves an Islamic Republic facing uncertainty amid attacks from Israel and the United States, plus increasing domestic dissent, particularly among younger generations.

“I just want to live a peaceful, normal life … Instead, they (the rulers) insist on a nuclear programme, supporting armed groups in the region, and maintaining hostility toward the United States,” Mina, 25, told Reuters by phone from Kuhdasht in western Lorestan province at the beginning of 2026.

“Those policies may have made sense in 1979, but not today,” the unemployed university graduate continued. “The world has changed.”

The United States and Israel carried out their largest military strike against Iran in decades on Saturday, an operation that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The massive foreign policy decision represents President Donald Trump’s boldest international move during his presidency, coming despite his campaign promises as a “peace president” and previous statements favoring diplomatic solutions with Iran. Trump provided limited advance explanation to Americans before the operation, briefly addressing the situation during last Tuesday’s State of the Union address and then through a video statement released Saturday, where he outlined five primary goals:

STOPPING IRAN’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

Trump has consistently stated, including in Saturday’s video, that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons. He claimed to have “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities during strikes last June, but stated this week that Tehran had tried to restart the program. “Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message,” Trump stated Saturday.

Both the United States and Israel justified the June bombings by citing Iran’s dangerous proximity to nuclear weapon production capability.

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency and U.S. intelligence agencies have independently concluded that Iran ended a nuclear weapons development program in 2003. Tehran continues to deny pursuing nuclear weapons while asserting its right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

Western nations argue there’s no legitimate civilian reason for Iran’s uranium enrichment to current levels, with the IAEA expressing serious concerns. Historically, no other nation has enriched uranium to these levels without eventually developing nuclear weapons.

STOPPING IRAN’S MISSILE DEVELOPMENT

During both his State of the Union address and Saturday’s statement, Trump highlighted Iran’s missile program progress as a growing danger to America. Saturday, he said Iran had tried “to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland.”

Trump offered no supporting evidence for these claims, though Iranian state media has reported Tehran’s development of missiles capable of reaching the United States.

ELIMINATING THREATS TO AMERICANS AND ALLIES FROM IRAN AND PROXIES

Trump stated Saturday’s attacks aimed “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”

He described Iran’s “menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.”

Trump referenced multiple attacks including Iran’s violent seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran starting in 1979, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days; a “proxy” attack on a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 killing 241 American military personnel, and “countless” other actions against U.S. forces in the Middle East recently, plus attacks on international shipping.

He also highlighted Iran’s backing of Hamas, which conducted a deadly cross-border assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.

RESPONDING TO PROTESTER KILLINGS

In his State of the Union speech, Trump repeated allegations that Iran had killed at least 32,000 protesters in recent months, figures that remain unverified. Saturday, he referenced Iran killing “tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.”

The U.S.-based monitoring group HRANA reported recording 7,007 confirmed deaths with 11,744 cases under investigation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated Tehran had published a “comprehensive list” of all 3,117 killed during the unrest. An Iranian official told Reuters last month that authorities had confirmed at least 5,000 deaths, including approximately 500 security personnel.

REGIME CHANGE

Saturday, Trump appealed to “the great proud people of Iran” to overthrow their current leadership.

“I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he declared. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

Trump, who monitored the operation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, announced Saturday afternoon that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had died in the strikes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously confirmed Khamenei’s compound had been destroyed, and a senior Israeli official told Reuters his body had been recovered.

Iranian state media subsequently confirmed Khamenei’s death in the attack.

While urging Iranians to overthrow their government, Trump warned: “The heavy and pinpoint bombing … will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The man who controlled Iran’s theocratic government for more than 30 years has died following a joint military strike by Israel and the United States. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, built Iran into a regional force while clashing with Western powers over nuclear weapons and brutally suppressing pro-democracy movements at home.

Iranian state television confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday morning, hours after President Donald Trump announced that the supreme leader had been eliminated in the coordinated attack.

Khamenei fundamentally transformed Iran’s Islamic Republic after assuming power following Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s death in 1989. While Khomeini was the passionate revolutionary who overthrew the shah and established clerical rule, Khamenei — a more reserved figure with lesser religious standing — was tasked with institutionalizing that revolutionary ideology.

His tenure ultimately lasted much longer than his predecessor’s. Khamenei significantly expanded the influence of Shiite clergy and transformed the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into Iran’s most powerful institution. The Guard evolved into a massive military and economic force, controlling Iran’s missile program and maintaining influence across numerous business sectors.

However, mounting pressures became increasingly difficult to manage. Economic struggles and political oppression sparked larger and more frequent mass demonstrations. Outrage over Mahsa Amini’s 2022 death while in custody for improper hijab wearing triggered nationwide protests against social restrictions. By early January, hundreds of thousands demonstrated across Iran, with many shouting, “Death to Khamenei.”

Khamenei’s response was the most violent suppression in nearly five decades of clerical leadership, as security forces fired on protesters, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Meanwhile, the Middle East conflicts following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault on Israel began dismantling Khamenei’s regional “Axis of Resistance” network. For the first time in 2024, Israel and Iran launched direct attacks against each other. Israel struck Iran again in June 2025, with the U.S. joining efforts to target nuclear facilities and eliminate senior military commanders and nuclear experts. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel.

Khamenei’s passing creates uncertainty about Iran’s political future.

The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of predominantly hardline clerics, will select Khamenei’s successor. However, no obvious replacement has been identified.

During February’s bombing campaign, President Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.” The country’s direction may largely depend on institutions like the Revolutionary Guard, which has consistently demonstrated readiness to use overwhelming force to maintain control despite growing dissatisfaction among Iran’s 90 million citizens.

“Culturally, the government is bankrupt,” said Mehdi Khalaji, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in 2017. “The ideology of the Islamic Republic did not work at all.”

Saturday’s attack also claimed the lives of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and daughter-in-law, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, citing unnamed sources.

Iran’s leadership has announced 40 days of public mourning and declared a week-long national holiday to honor Khamenei’s death.

Ali Khamenei was born into a religious household in Mashhad, a northeastern holy city that became a center of anti-shah activism during the resistance against Western-backed monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Following the path of many Iranian leaders, he studied under Khomeini at Qom’s seminary south of Tehran during the early 1960s, before Khomeini’s exile to Iraq and France.

Khamenei participated in the anti-shah resistance, experiencing both imprisonment and periods in hiding. When Khomeini returned triumphantly to Iran in February 1979 and declared the Islamic Republic, Khamenei joined the secretive Revolutionary Council. He won election as Iran’s third president in 1981; that same year, a bombing by opposition forces left one of his hands paralyzed.

With his thick-rimmed glasses, Khamenei lacked Khomeini’s intense presence and revolutionary charisma. He also fell well below Khomeini’s religious scholarship, holding only the relatively modest rank of “hojatolislam” in Shiite clerical rankings.

Upon becoming supreme leader after Khomeini’s death, he was immediately elevated to grand ayatollah status at the hierarchy’s peak, though he faced years of skepticism regarding his qualifications.

Khamenei openly acknowledged these concerns with modesty. “I am an individual with many faults and shortcomings and truly a minor seminarian,” he said in his first speech in his new post.

Despite lacking charisma, Khamenei brought stability to Iran after the devastating 1980s conflict with Iraq and maintained power for over three decades — significantly longer than Khomeini.

Conservative supporters viewed him as second only to God in authority. Khamenei established an expanding network of Shiite clerics and government agencies with overlapping responsibilities, positioning himself as the final decision-maker. When Iran debated whether to maintain the Revolutionary Guard after the Iraq war, Khamenei preserved the force and enabled its powerful grip on Iran’s economy. He also employed appointed officials to weaken the civilian government chosen by voters.

During Khamenei’s leadership, Iran completely shifted from traditional warfare to proxy support, creating the “Axis of Resistance” to advance regional objectives. The Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, formed with Iranian assistance in the 1980s, forced Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and fought Israel to a standstill in the month-long 2006 conflict.

Through Hezbollah, Iran developed a strategy of allying with local militant groups to project influence — often through violence. Iran applied this approach when supporting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who captured the capital Sanaa in 2014 and maintained control for over a decade in a stalemated conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country — despite facing a Saudi-led coalition and later U.S.-led airstrikes over Red Sea attacks.

Additionally, suspected Iranian-backed militants bombed a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, killing 85 people. Iran was also allegedly connected to the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. military personnel. Iran denied involvement in both incidents.

Iran became a major beneficiary of the 2003 U.S.-led Iraq invasion, which replaced its primary regional enemy, Saddam Hussein, with a friendly Shiite-dominated government. Iranian-supported militias conducted a brutal insurgency against American forces and established themselves within Iraq’s political system.

Khamenei most effectively utilized the Guard’s overseas Quds Force after Sunni extremists from the Islamic State seized large portions of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Guard personnel advised Shiite militias, Iraq’s most effective fighters, and provided essential support to President Assad during Syria’s civil war.

This secured Assad’s position for a decade, until the turmoil following Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel. Israel devastated Gaza and conducted airstrikes and ground operations that destroyed Hamas, which Iran had armed and funded for years. Israel is widely believed to have assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran operation in 2024, further humiliating the Islamic Republic.

Hezbollah saw its members targeted by exploding communication devices and an Israeli campaign eliminated longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Then in December 2024, rebel forces overthrew Assad in a Syrian offensive, ending five decades of his family’s authoritarian rule.

The supreme leader maintained deep distrust of America, calling it the “Great Satan” even after President Barack Obama took office in 2009, offering dialogue and renewed relations.

He dismissed U.N. sanctions and advanced Iran’s nuclear program, which America and allies claimed concealed a secret weapons project until 2003. Khamenei issued a verbal fatwa, or religious decree, declaring nuclear weapons un-Islamic, but vowed Iran would never abandon what he termed its right to develop peaceful nuclear energy.

Under Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, Tehran agreed to dramatically reduce uranium stockpiles and enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. However, just three years later, Trump in his first presidency unilaterally withdrew America from the deal, arguing it was insufficient.

Iran has since violated all nuclear deal restrictions and accumulated uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, now sufficient to pursue multiple nuclear weapons if desired. Diplomatic efforts to restore the agreement under President Joe Biden stalled.

In a March 2011 speech, Khamenei cited overthrown Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who had abandoned his nuclear program years earlier, as an example of why Iran’s nuclear program remained crucial amid Arab Spring upheavals in the Middle East.

“Just the way you give a lollipop to a child, Westerners gave ‘incentives’ to them and they gave up everything,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei’s first significant challenge emerged in 1997, when pro-reform politicians gained parliamentary control and cleric Mohammad Khatami won the presidency by a landslide, supported by young voters. The reformists demanded relaxation of strict revolutionary social rules and called for improved international relations, including with America.

Khamenei-supported hardliners moved to restrict the liberal movement, fearing it would eventually demand an end to clerical rule. Khamenei prevented parliament from relaxing media restrictions in an unusually direct intervention. Clerical institutions blocked other key liberal legislation and barred many reformist lawmakers from seeking reelection, ensuring hardliner control returned in 2004 elections.

This paved the way for hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s 2005 election and his disputed 2009 reelection amid vote-rigging allegations. Mass protests erupted, creating the greatest threat to Iran’s clerical leadership in decades. The Revolutionary Guard, Basij militia, and police launched a crackdown killing dozens and arresting hundreds.

The unrest, and reports of protesters being tortured to death or sexually assaulted in prison, severely damaged Khamenei’s reputation.

As sanctions intensified, popular unrest increased. Economic protests occurred in 2017 and demonstrations escalated in 2019 over government gasoline price increases. The violent crackdown that followed killed over 300 people, according to activists.

While Khamenei struggled to maintain the Islamic Revolution’s ideological purity, Iran’s government largely failed to eliminate Western influence. Satellite dishes, theoretically banned, cover Tehran’s rooftops. Prohibited social media platforms are widely used, even by prominent politicians, despite being blocked.

Protests resumed in 2022 over Amini’s death, a young woman detained for improper hijab wearing according to authorities. More than 500 people died and tens of thousands were arrested when security forces again crushed the demonstrations.

In late December 2025, new economic protests erupted and grew into what appeared to be the largest protest movement ever. Hundreds of thousands nationwide took to the streets, openly demanding the Islamic Republic’s end. Some even chanted for the return of the shah’s son, living in exile since 1979. The crackdown’s brutality shocked Iranians.

With President Trump, Khamenei faced a more aggressive and unpredictable American campaign to halt Iran’s nuclear program. Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, restoring sanctions.

The two sides nearly went to war after an American drone strike killed Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. At Soleimani’s massive funeral drawing millions to the streets, Khamenei wept over the coffin of the man he once called a “living martyr.” Two days later, the Guard mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner departing Tehran, killing all 176 aboard.

Iran accelerated uranium enrichment back to 60% purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade 90% levels. Still, when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Khamenei resumed negotiations, highlighting the severe impact of sanctions. Iran’s struggling economy entered freefall, worsening domestic unrest.

However, an agreement remained out of reach. In June 2025, Israel and America bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, causing significant damage, though the program’s setback remained unclear.

During January’s nationwide protest crackdown, Trump renewed strike threats, demanding Iran make major negotiating concessions. Three rounds of indirect talks followed. Then came Saturday.

SEOUL – During Sunday’s commemoration of the 107th March 1 Independence Movement Day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed his desire for North Korea to quickly return to diplomatic negotiations aimed at establishing a fresh chapter in relations between the two nations.

The South Korean leader emphasized his commitment to working toward restarting conversations with Pyongyang as part of broader efforts to achieve lasting peace across the Korean peninsula.

Lee’s remarks came as he addressed the nation during ceremonies honoring the historic independence movement that began on March 1, 1919.

WASHINGTON – American military forces launched strikes against Iranian targets Saturday using an unprecedented combination of advanced weaponry, including the first-ever combat deployment of inexpensive suicide drones based on Iranian technology.

U.S. Central Command shared images and details of the military operation, designated Operation Epic Fury, showcasing the deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles, F-18 and F-35 fighter aircraft in the coordinated attack.

Military officials confirmed they utilized kamikaze-style drones that closely resemble the newly developed LUCAS (Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System), produced by Spektreworks in Phoenix, Arizona. The defense contractor did not provide comment when contacted.

According to Pentagon officials, this marked the inaugural combat use of single-use attack drones designed to mirror Iran’s Shahed drone technology. These expendable drones are intentionally affordable and designed for mass production by multiple manufacturers, defense officials explained.

Each LUCAS drone carries a price tag of approximately $35,000. The growing importance of drone technology in modern warfare has been highlighted by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, prompting the U.S. and allied nations to adopt an “affordable mass” approach – stockpiling large quantities of cost-effective weapons systems.

The military also deployed Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, which are long-distance cruise missiles designed for deep-strike operations launched from naval vessels. These precision weapons can engage targets up to 1,000 miles away, even in heavily fortified airspace. Each Tomahawk measures 20 feet in length with an 8.5-foot wingspan and weighs roughly 3,330 pounds.

Raytheon, a division of RTX, manufactures these conventional (non-nuclear) Tomahawks for both land and sea-based launches. Pentagon procurement records indicate plans to purchase 57 of these missiles in 2026, with each unit costing an average of $1.3 million. Ongoing modernization efforts involve millions in upgrades, including enhanced guidance systems.

A recent Pentagon-Raytheon contract aims to boost Tomahawk production capacity to 1,000 missiles per year. These GPS-guided weapons have undergone extensive testing and operational use, including recent deployments by U.S. and British naval forces against Houthi positions in Yemen.

Central Command also released visual documentation of F/A-18 and F-35 fighter jets participating in the Iranian strikes. The F-35 represents fifth-generation stealth technology capable of avoiding radar detection while delivering precision munitions. These aircraft have been extensively deployed throughout Middle Eastern operations and are also utilized by Israeli forces.

The F-18, manufactured by Boeing, serves as a versatile multi-role platform capable of air-to-air combat and ground attack missions using various bombs and missiles. F-35s can deploy specialized missiles designed to target and eliminate radar installations, effectively blinding enemy defenses.

Iranian state media outlets reported Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died following strikes carried out by Israeli and American forces.

The death of Khamenei, who has served as Iran’s highest-ranking political and religious authority, represents a major shift in the regional power structure of the Middle East.

State-controlled media in Iran confirmed the Supreme Leader’s death on March 1st, attributing it to coordinated military action by Israel and the United States.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump’s military strikes against Iran on Saturday marked a striking transformation in his willingness to take risks, showing how dramatically his approach shifted in just eight months regarding the use of American military force against Tehran’s religious leadership.

Traditional constraints were abandoned as Trump collaborated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a military strategy that targeted Iran’s top officials, including 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose elimination Trump proudly declared on social media following the launch of military operations.

This action represented a complete reversal from Trump’s position eight months earlier. During Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June, he had agreed to Israel’s request to deploy B-2 bombers against three critical Iranian nuclear facilities — but firmly refused when Israeli officials proposed assassinating Khamenei.

Back in June, the president had issued barely concealed threats suggesting he could eliminate the supreme leader if he chose to. However, he ultimately turned down the Israeli assassination proposal due to fears it would create regional instability.

That careful approach disappeared on Saturday when Trump declared Khamenei’s death, while Israeli forces announced they had eliminated Iran’s defense minister and Revolutionary Guard commander. As of Saturday evening, Iran had not yet confirmed their Supreme Leader’s demise.

“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,” Trump said. “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”

Trump had spent months attempting diplomatic engagement with Iran. Administration sources told reporters they had presented Iran with numerous pathways to maintain a peaceful nuclear program for civilian use, including an offer to provide nuclear fuel at no cost indefinitely.

However, these officials, speaking anonymously because they lacked authorization for public comment, indicated it became apparent that Iran sought enriched uranium for weapons development. One official characterized Iran’s response to their proposals as “games, tricks, stall tactics.”

The strike authorization came merely two days after Trump sent special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for additional negotiations with Iranian leadership. Middle Eastern and European partners were pushing the U.S. administration to allow more time for diplomatic solutions as Trump showed increasing impatience.

“The consequences are likely to be as far-reaching as they are uncertain: Within the system that has held power for nearly five decades, between the government and a dissatisfied populace, and between Iran and its adversaries,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. “And although the regime is weakened, a sense that this showdown is an all-or-nothing struggle for its very survival could lead it to respond with every tool still at its disposal.”

Saturday’s military action followed a pattern of increasingly aggressive moves against Iran that produced minimal retaliation, which appeared to influence Trump’s risk assessment, according to Aaron David Miller, who advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Middle Eastern affairs for twenty years.

In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement that Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration had negotiated. Two years later, Trump authorized a drone attack that killed senior Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

The Soleimani assassination, targeting the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force, represented perhaps the most aggressive U.S. military move in the Middle East since President George W. Bush initiated the 2003 Iraq War to remove Saddam Hussein.

Then in June, Trump authorized attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which he declared had “obliterated” their program.

“He did all of these things without cost or consequence to him,” said Miller, currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “He’s been risk-ready. That’s the nature of his personality.”

Trump administration representatives had openly demanded Tehran abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development while ceasing support for regional militant groups. However, administration sources said Tehran refused to address the missile and proxy issues.

Iran’s inflexibility, occurring while its economy suffered under decades of sanctions and its military remained weakened from last year’s conflict, surprised Trump.

Before Thursday’s negotiations concluded, indicators suggested Trump was moving toward military intervention.

During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Trump asserted that Iran was developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching American territory — a rationale he repeated Saturday while announcing the bombardment had begun.

Iran has not confirmed it is developing or pursuing intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities. However, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency stated in an unclassified report last year that Iran could potentially develop a militarily effective intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters Wednesday that Iran’s unwillingness to discuss its ballistic missile program created a “big problem.” Rubio avoided addressing the DIA assessment that Iran remained years away from developing missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine who served in Iraq and has questioned U.S. military interventions, told The Washington Post on Thursday that Trump had not yet decided on striking Iran. However, he provided reassurances that any military action would not involve the United States in an extended conflict.

“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen,” Vance said.

By Friday, Trump was expressing renewed frustration with Iran’s negotiating stance.

“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” Trump said. “I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens.”

Congressional leadership received advance notice Saturday morning about the impending strikes. Trump observed the operation from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, alongside his national security advisors.

Trump’s earlier successful military operation this year that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and transported him and his spouse to New York City for federal drug conspiracy charges may have encouraged the president, suggested Jonathan Schanzer, a former Treasury Department official now serving as executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington research organization.

Trump had threatened military intervention last month but delayed action as Iran conducted a violent suppression of demonstrations. The protests initially focused on economic complaints but evolved into a nationwide anti-government movement challenging the religious leadership.

While human rights organizations reported thousands killed during Iran’s crackdown, Trump promised protesters assistance was coming, though it did not materialize immediately and the demonstrations eventually subsided.

Schanzer noted that Trump’s decision to postpone action last month provided his team additional time to position the substantial fleet of fighter aircraft and naval vessels now deployed in the region — similar to preparations made in the Caribbean before the Venezuela operation.

This military presence represented leverage Trump hoped would force Khamenei to surrender. However, the Supreme Leader refused to yield.

“The way this unfolded was inevitable, because there was no way that the Ayatollah was going to show flexibility,” Schanzer said.

According to Iranian state media reports on Sunday, several family members of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been killed in military strikes allegedly carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces.

The reported fatalities include Khamenei’s daughter, one grandchild, his daughter-in-law, and son-in-law, as announced by Iranian state media outlets on March 1st.

The reports originate from Dubai-based news sources and have not been independently verified by international media organizations.

A coordinated military operation between American and Israeli forces resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a Saturday meeting with his top advisors, according to multiple U.S. intelligence sources.

The timing of the joint attack was deliberately planned to target Khamenei while he convened with senior officials, including former National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, both of whom also perished in the strikes.

Iranian sources confirmed to Reuters that Khamenei had gathered with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a protected facility just before the military operation commenced.

A high-ranking Israeli official confirmed that Khamenei’s remains have been recovered following the attack.

President Donald Trump announced the Iranian leader’s death through his Truth Social account, crediting intelligence operations for tracking his whereabouts.

“He 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,” Trump stated.

The joint American-Israeli military campaign across Iranian territory has escalated Middle Eastern tensions to unprecedented levels, prompting Iran to launch counterattacks against Israeli targets and neighboring Gulf nations.

Intelligence sources, speaking anonymously, revealed that confirmation of Khamenei’s leadership meeting triggered the immediate launch of the combined air and naval assault.

A U.S. official explained that eliminating Khamenei first was crucial to prevent him from escaping and maintaining operational surprise during the mission.

Originally scheduled for Saturday evening in Tehran, Israeli intelligence discovered the meeting had been moved to Saturday morning, prompting commanders to accelerate their timeline, sources indicated.

While the exact meeting location remains undisclosed, Khamenei’s heavily fortified Tehran compound was among the first targets destroyed, with satellite images confirming the facility’s complete destruction.

The long-term consequences of Khamenei’s elimination remain uncertain, though CIA analysts previously assessed that hardline Revolutionary Guard leaders would likely assume power, according to sources with access to the intelligence briefings.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who commanded nearly four decades of authoritarian rule, may have met his end through a joint U.S. and Israeli military operation, according to reports emerging Saturday.

President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death, while Israeli sources confirmed to The Associated Press that the 86-year-old leader was eliminated during a major coordinated assault by American and Israeli forces. Iranian authorities have not yet responded to these claims.

The reported death comes after Khamenei orchestrated the most violent suppression of dissent during his tenure when faced with widespread civil unrest earlier this year. As American military forces increased their regional presence to pressure Iran regarding its nuclear activities, Khamenei had cautioned that any U.S. attack would trigger broader regional conflict. Despite these warnings, he permitted Iranian officials to participate in nuclear discussions with Washington.

Before Saturday’s reported targeting of his residence, Khamenei faced escalating challenges to his authority.

His brutal response to mass demonstrations, which resulted in thousands of casualties while crowds shouted “Death to Khamenei,” demonstrated how significantly public fury threatened his regime. Decades of international sanctions combined with government corruption and economic mismanagement had devastated Iran’s financial system.

Additionally, Israeli and American bombing campaigns during last summer’s 12-day conflict severely compromised Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure, and military assets. Tehran’s network of allied militant groups, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Yemen’s Houthis, suffered significant losses from Israeli and U.S. strikes following the Gaza conflict’s start, diminishing Iran’s regional influence.

Understanding Khamenei’s background reveals his unlikely rise to absolute power.

Upon assuming leadership in 1989, Khamenei faced significant skepticism regarding his legitimacy. As a minor religious figure, he possessed far less theological standing than his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

However, Khamenei’s reign lasted three times longer than Khomeini’s and potentially transformed Iran more profoundly.

He solidified the theocratic system dominated by mullahs, or Shiite Islamic clerics. Within the Islamic Republic’s structure, religious authorities maintain supreme control, establishing boundaries that civilian leadership, military forces, and intelligence agencies must respect.

Among hardline supporters, Khamenei represented unquestionable authority, subordinate only to divine power.

Simultaneously, Khamenei transformed the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into Iran’s most influential military and political force. This organization controls Iran’s most sophisticated military units and manages its ballistic missile development. Khamenei also permitted the Guard to establish extensive business operations and economic dominance.

In exchange, the Guard served as his devoted enforcement apparatus.

Khamenei’s first significant challenge emerged from the reform movement that gained parliamentary control and the presidency shortly after his ascension. These reformers promoted increased authority for elected officials, which Khamenei’s conservative allies viewed as potentially dismantling the Islamic Republic framework.

Khamenei mobilized the clerical hierarchy, and unelected religious councils blocked major reforms and prevented reform candidates from participating in elections.

Subsequently, multiple waves of popular uprisings were violently suppressed.

Massive nationwide demonstrations erupted in 2009 following vote manipulation accusations. Economic hardship from sanctions sparked protests in 2017 and 2019. Additional unrest occurred in 2022 following Mahsa Amini’s death, who died in police custody for improperly wearing her required headscarf.

Government crackdowns resulted in hundreds of deaths, with hundreds more detained amid reports of torture and sexual assault in custody.

The most recent protests began in late December at Tehran’s historic marketplace after Iran’s currency, the rial, collapsed to a record low of 1.42 million per U.S. dollar. Demonstrations rapidly expanded nationwide.

“Rioters must be put in their place,” Khamenei declared. When hundreds of thousands demonstrated on January 8 and 9, security forces opened fire on crowds, with protest veterans expressing shock at the unprecedented violence deployed.

Human rights organizations documented over 7,000 deaths while continuing to verify additional casualties. Government officials acknowledged more than 3,000 fatalities, still exceeding previous crackdown tolls.

Through nuclear negotiations, Khamenei likely attempted to delay potential U.S. attacks. However, Iran rejected Washington’s primary demands to cease all uranium enrichment and relinquish existing uranium reserves.

Trump initially threatened military action to stop Khamenei and other Iranian leaders from killing peaceful demonstrators. He subsequently used this threat to pressure Tehran toward serious nuclear discussions.

Some Iranians and diaspora members hoped American military intervention would remove Khamenei. However, even among Khamenei’s opponents, many voices opposed foreign interference to overthrow the theocracy.

Formally, a council of Shiite clerics holds responsibility for selecting Khamenei’s successor from among their ranks, with various candidates mentioned including his son.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran specialist at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told The Associated Press this week that Tehran learned from last year’s conflict the importance of ensuring governmental continuity following Khamenei’s potential death. He suggested power might transfer to a small committee of senior officials during ongoing hostilities.

“It is possible that Khamenei has indicated a preferred successor behind closed doors,” Citrinowicz said. “However automatic implementation of a preselected successor will increase internal friction during war.”

Nevertheless, the Revolutionary Guard has evolved into Iran’s most powerful institution. Should Khamenei’s death receive confirmation, this might encourage Guard leadership or regular military commanders to assume control more directly. Such developments could trigger violent competition for authority over the oil-wealthy nation of 85 million citizens.

An overnight Iranian missile assault targeting locations throughout Gulf Arab nations left Dubai International Airport damaged and four people wounded, according to aviation industry sources who spoke Sunday morning.

Dubai’s media office posted on X that “a concourse at Dubai International (DXB) sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained,” but provided no additional information about the event.

Industry sources informed Reuters that one terminal at the facility, typically among the globe’s most active aviation centers, was harmed during the nighttime Iranian assault that officials would only publicly describe as an “incident.”

The same sources reported that Abu Dhabi International Airport was also struck. They could not confirm whether both airports experienced direct hits or if the harm resulted from falling wreckage after missiles were intercepted.

Reuters received no immediate responses when seeking comments from Dubai Airports or Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

Tehran launched missiles targeting Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha, all critical aviation connections between east and west.

Carriers canceled flights throughout the Middle East on Saturday — including routes to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi — following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s missile counterstrikes. Flight tracking systems revealed nearly empty airspace across much of the area.

Dubai Airports halted all operations at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International, advising travelers to avoid coming to the facilities. Emirates and flydubai stopped their services, while Etihad canceled all Abu Dhabi departures until Sunday morning.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically Saturday as Iran unleashed a massive missile barrage against Israel, with local news sources reporting more than 200 projectiles launched throughout the evening hours.

The assault wounded eight people in Tel Aviv, where medical teams transported victims for care – one person suffered moderate injuries while seven others sustained minor wounds. Emergency responders also treated a man in his 40s for serious shrapnel injuries in the city, with Magen David Adom medics providing on-site care. Officials expressed concern about unexploded weapons remaining in the area and launched search missions.

Saturday morning brought the first wave of attacks when Iran sent at least 125 missiles toward Israeli territory. Defense officials reported that 35 projectiles penetrated Israeli airspace while defensive systems knocked down the rest, causing warning sirens to sound throughout central and northern regions. The Magen David Adom emergency service confirmed a residential structure in northern Israel took a direct impact during this initial assault.

Emergency crews reported that missile debris hit a 20-story apartment building in Tirat HaCarmel, breaking through to the 17th floor and causing light injuries to one resident, according to Hebrew-language news outlets.

The Israeli Defense Forces announced a second wave of 15 missiles targeted northern and central areas later that day. Around 5 p.m., unverified reports suggested another residential building in central Israel suffered a direct strike, though no casualties were immediately reported.

Medical services treated a 17-year-old victim who received minor shrapnel wounds to his lower extremities, while emergency teams responded to numerous reported impact locations throughout central Israel. During Saturday’s attacks, paramedics assisted roughly 100 individuals, primarily for minor shrapnel injuries or wounds sustained while seeking shelter. Six additional people received treatment for anxiety-related issues.

The Iranian offensive extended beyond Israeli borders, according to Qatar’s Defense Ministry, which reported 65 missiles and 12 drones had been deployed from Iran by Saturday, Reuters confirmed. In the United Arab Emirates, a high-end Dubai hotel became a target as Iran broadened its retaliatory campaign following American-Israeli operations against Iranian positions.

BBC-authenticated footage captured flames engulfing the Fairmont The Palm hotel, with dense black smoke billowing skyward. Dubai officials confirmed four individuals were injured in a blaze at a Palm Jumeirah area structure, stating the fire was successfully contained without releasing additional information.

Meanwhile, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait – all nations hosting American military installations – announced they successfully intercepted missiles aimed at their territories.

Multiple Arab nations issued condemnations of Iran on Saturday following the missile strikes against American interests and allied countries throughout the Middle East, describing the attacks as retaliation for coordinated US-Israeli operations targeting Iranian leadership. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries releasing public statements in response.

LA PAZ, Bolivia – A military cargo aircraft transporting freshly printed currency crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital city, claiming 22 lives and leaving 29 others wounded, according to police officials who provided updated casualty figures Saturday.

The victims included 12 men, six women, and four children, with one crew member among the fatalities, stated police commander Mirko Sokol. Most of those injured were passengers on public buses traveling in the area where the aircraft went down.

Forensic teams continued working Saturday to retrieve bodies from the crash site. Medical facilities in El Alto, the city near La Paz where the airport is situated, treated the injured survivors.

The Hercules C-130 aircraft was carrying 18 tons of newly manufactured Bolivian banknotes from Santa Cruz in the country’s east when it “landed and veered off the runway” at El Alto airport before coming to rest in an adjacent field, Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas explained Friday. Emergency responders successfully extinguished fires that consumed the aircraft.

Social media footage revealed aircraft wreckage, destroyed automobiles, and casualties along the roadway. Fire department chief Pavel Tovar reported that no fewer than 15 vehicles sustained damage in the incident.

The military transport plane was delivering currency to La Paz when it crashed, and social media images captured people racing to collect scattered bills from the scene. More than 500 military personnel and 100 law enforcement officers attempted to control the crowds, official accounts stated.

To prevent additional theft, police and military forces destroyed the remaining cash containers while Central Bank President David Espinoza observed. Espinoza declared the bills “have no legal value because they never entered circulation,” though he did not elaborate further.

While Espinoza declined to reveal the exact monetary value being transported, he confirmed the banknotes had been shipped to Santa Cruz from overseas before the fatal flight.

NEW YORK (TV Delmarva) — During an urgent Security Council session on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres denounced joint American-Israeli military operations against Iran and demanded an immediate shift toward diplomatic talks “to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink.”

Speaking to council members during the emergency gathering, Guterres emphasized that all possible measures must be taken to avoid further military escalation. “The alternative,” he cautioned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”

The UN leader also criticized Iran’s counter-strikes for breaching the sovereignty and territorial boundaries of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed criticism of the airstrikes as “hypocrisy” when speaking with media representatives prior to the session. Danon argued that Iran bears responsibility for its regional proxy forces and nuclear weapons development, stating that Israel and America responded “to prevent an irreversible and immediate threat.”

The military operation against Iran resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Associated Press reporting. The killing of the Islamic Republic’s second leader, who had not named a successor, has heightened concerns about extended conflict amid Iranian vows of retaliation. President Donald Trump posted on social media that Khamenei’s death represents “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”

In correspondence to the secretary-general, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused America and Israel of “flagrantly” breaching Iran’s sovereignty, territorial boundaries and the UN Charter. Araghchi stated Iran was using its charter-protected right to self-defense in its response.

The foreign minister pressed council members “to take the necessary and immediate measures to halt this unlawful use of force and to ensure accountability.” He also demanded clear condemnation of “this act of aggression … as it undoubtedly poses an unprecedented threat to regional as well as global peace and security.”

The emergency session was requested by five council members: Bahrain, serving as the Arab council representative, along with France, Russia, China and Colombia.

Leaders from Britain and France, both holding Security Council veto power, joined Germany’s chancellor in a joint declaration urging renewed American-Iranian discussions regarding Tehran’s nuclear activities. These three nations, signatories to the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, have spearheaded diplomatic resolution efforts. Trump withdrew American participation from that accord in 2018.

The European leaders issued strong criticism of Iranian regional airstrikes — rather than the American-Israeli operations — and pressed Iranian officials toward negotiated settlements, declaring: “Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.”

The Security Council convened on the final day of the United Kingdom’s council presidency, one day before the United States assumes the rotating March leadership role.

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Saturday that joint Israeli-U.S. military operations may have resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though he stopped short of definitively confirming the leader’s fate.

Speaking in a recorded statement, Netanyahu declared that morning strikes had targeted Khamenei’s residential compound. “This morning we destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei,” the Israeli leader stated, describing the Iranian leader as someone who had “dispatched terrorism across the world, made his own people miserable, and worked constantly and tirelessly on a program to annihilate the state of Israel” over more than three decades.

Netanyahu indicated that evidence suggests the Iranian leader may not have survived the assault. “There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer. This morning we eliminated senior officials in the ayatollahs’ regime, Revolutionary Guards commanders, senior figures in the nuclear programme – and we will continue. In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime,” he stated in the video message.

The strikes reportedly targeted multiple high-ranking Iranian officials beyond Khamenei, including Revolutionary Guard leadership and key figures involved in Iran’s nuclear development program.

Former President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died, according to a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump described the Iranian leader as “one of the most evil people in History” while declaring his death, though the former president did not provide any details about how he learned of this information or specify sources for his claim.

The announcement was made on February 28th via Trump’s social media account, but no additional context or verification was offered with the statement.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took control of Iran’s Islamic Republic in 1989, assuming leadership after the death of the revolution’s founding figure.

Though not regarded as particularly charismatic, Khamenei has maintained stability in Iran following the devastating conflict with Iraq during the 1980s, leading the country for over thirty years – a tenure significantly longer than the single leader who came before him.

This collection of photographs has been assembled by Associated Press photo editors.

Following Saturday’s significant military strike by the United States and Israel against Iran, President Donald Trump encouraged Iranian citizens to “seize control of your destiny” by challenging the Islamic government that has controlled their country since 1979.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei might be the next target, following the elimination of multiple high-ranking Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists. Netanyahu suggested such an action could destabilize Tehran’s entire governmental structure.

No immediate reports confirmed whether senior Iranian leadership was harmed in the attacks. However, experts note that removing top leaders wouldn’t automatically guarantee a change in government.

Here’s an examination of Iran’s most powerful political and spiritual authorities.

Ali Khamenei assumed the role of Iran’s supreme leader in 1989 following the passing of Ruhollah Khomeini, who established the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khamenei was instrumental in the revolutionary movement that removed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from power in 1979.

At 86 years old, Khamenei serves as Iran’s military commander-in-chief and holds ultimate authority over all governmental and religious decisions. The Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s paramilitary organization tasked with protecting the Islamic Republic, reports directly to his office.

Throughout his leadership, Khamenei has overseen multiple suppression campaigns against domestic protesters. He recently declared Iran’s readiness to respond to any American military action.

Saturday’s initial strikes targeted areas near Khamenei’s administrative offices. His whereabouts during the attack remained unknown, as he hadn’t appeared publicly for several days.

Iran’s current president is widely viewed as a reform-minded leader. Masoud Pezeshkian, a former cardiac surgeon, began his presidency on July 28, 2024. As the nation’s second-highest official, the president oversees government operations, manages economic policies, and executes the Supreme Leader’s directives.

Iranian citizens vote for both president and parliament members in four-year election cycles.

Iran’s foreign minister brings extensive diplomatic experience and played a crucial role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement that is no longer in effect. Abbas Araghchi received his appointment on August 21, 2024.

Prior to Saturday’s military action, Araghchi cautioned that confrontation with the U.S. would result in “a devastating war” and emphasized Tehran’s preference for diplomatic resolution before this week’s critical negotiations.

Ali Larijani comes from one of Iran’s most prominent political dynasties. The former parliamentary leader and senior policy consultant was chosen to counsel Khamenei on strategic matters regarding nuclear discussions with the Trump administration.

In January, the U.S. implemented additional economic penalties against Iranian officials, including Larijani, for allegedly suppressing nationwide demonstrations against Iran’s religious government.

The U.S. Treasury Department identified him as among the first officials to advocate for violent responses against Iranian demonstrators.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, a conservative legal scholar and hardline prosecutor, has served as chief justice since 2021. He is commonly recognized as a devoted supporter of Khamenei.

State media quoted Mohseni Ejehi in January as declaring there would be “no leniency” for those responsible for the recent wave of civil unrest.

Ahmad Movahedi Kermani leads the 88-member religious assembly tasked with selecting the next Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts functions similarly to the Vatican’s College of Cardinals within Iran’s system.

Ahmad Jannati effectively heads Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-person organization that screens political candidates and legislation, rejecting individuals deemed incompatible with Iran’s Islamic religious system. The council includes six Islamic scholars and six legal specialists.

This council possesses the authority to eliminate presidential candidates viewed as opposing the Supreme Leader’s agenda.

Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani serves as an Islamic religious leader and long-standing ally of Khamenei. He manages the Supreme Leader’s administrative office.

Ali Akbar Velayati, trained as a doctor, previously held the position of Iran’s foreign minister and currently advises Khamenei on global matters. He participates in the country’s nuclear policy decisions.

Kamal Kharazi acts as a trusted foreign policy counselor to Khamenei, particularly during recent nuclear negotiations with Washington.

The former diplomat and foreign minister previously served as Iran’s representative to the United Nations. Kharazi has occupied various government, diplomatic, and educational positions throughout his career.

Mohammad Reza Aref holds the distinction of being the highest-ranking reform advocate within Iran’s executive government branch. He functions as the president’s principal deputy and conducts cabinet sessions during the president’s absence. Aref maintains communication between the presidency and parliament.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former Tehran mayor and Revolutionary Guard commander, secured reelection as parliamentary speaker on May 27, 2025. This conservative politician was connected to student suppression incidents in 1999 and 2003.

Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi belongs to Iran’s 12-member Guardian Council and serves as an influential religious leader and prayer director loyal to the Supreme Leader. He holds membership in Iran’s Assembly of Experts and has maintained hardline positions throughout his career.

In January, Khatami demanded capital punishment for protesters arrested during nationwide suppression efforts, characterizing demonstrators as “butlers” of Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”

Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader’s second-oldest son, holds mid-level clerical status and is rumored as his father’s potential replacement. He maintains strong connections with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Mojtaba participated in military service during the Iran-Iraq conflict and reportedly exercises significant behind-the-scenes influence as his father’s advisor and gatekeeper.

MEXICO CITY — The remains of notorious drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely recognized by his alias ‘El Mencho,’ have been released to his relatives after Mexican military forces killed him in an operation last week, government officials announced Saturday.

Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office issued a statement on X confirming they had completed all required legal procedures before turning over the body to family members.

“Genetic tests were carried out to confirm that there were indeed blood ties between the person who requested the release and the deceased,” the agency stated.

The death of Mexico’s most influential cartel leader triggered widespread revenge attacks spanning approximately 20 states throughout the country. The violent backlash claimed the lives of more than 70 individuals.

This surge in bloodshed has raised concerns that the violence might negatively impact the nation’s tourism industry as the FIFA World Cup approaches later this year.

American authorities had placed a bounty of up to $15 million on El Mencho for information that would lead to his capture. He commanded the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, recognized as among Mexico’s most influential and rapidly expanding criminal enterprises since its establishment around 2009.

This past February 2025, the Trump administration classified the organization as a foreign terrorist group.

The elimination of this major crime figure represents the Mexican government’s most significant victory in demonstrating to the Trump administration its commitment to combating drug cartels.

A senior Ukrainian official announced Saturday that Russia has signaled its willingness to embrace the United States’ proposed security framework for Ukraine during recent diplomatic discussions in Geneva.

Kyrylo Budanov, a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, revealed this development during a television interview broadcast on Ukrainian media. “At the last talks, the Russian side said for example that they would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the United States,” Budanov stated.

The diplomatic efforts come as President Donald Trump pushes both Moscow and Kyiv to reach a settlement that would bring an end to what has become Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II ended in 1945. However, Zelenskiy has expressed frustration that Ukraine faces mounting pressure to offer compromises in any potential agreement.

Ukrainian leadership continues to pursue robust security assurances that would legally bind the United States and European partners to respond militarily should Russia launch future attacks following any peace settlement.

The most recent diplomatic session in Geneva last week failed to produce any significant breakthrough, with both Ukrainian and Russian representatives characterizing the discussions as challenging. Despite this, Washington officials described the talks as showing “meaningful progress.”

Budanov also noted that Russia has not yet committed to arranging a direct meeting between Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite earlier suggestions from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff that such a summit remained a possibility.

Israeli authorities suspended operations at all Gaza border crossings on Saturday, halting the flow of humanitarian assistance and blocking medical evacuations as military operations against Iran were underway, according to COGAT, Israel’s government coordination agency.

Among the shuttered entry points was the crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which had just resumed limited operations in early February. The crossing had been allowing small numbers of Palestinians to pass through for the first time in months, particularly those requiring emergency medical treatment.

More than 2 million Gaza residents have been forced from their homes during Israel’s military campaign in the territory, leaving the population heavily reliant on international humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations reported in mid-February that it continues encountering obstacles while attempting to distribute critical aid throughout Gaza.

A February analysis by Human Rights Watch found that Israeli limitations on aid shipments have perpetuated shortages of medical supplies, rebuilding materials, food supplies, and clean water throughout the territory.

COGAT defended the crossing closures by claiming sufficient food supplies have entered Gaza during the current ceasefire to meet population needs four times over, though the agency provided no supporting data. Officials stated that “the existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period.”

Cities worldwide witnessed widespread demonstrations following a significant military operation conducted by the United States and Israel targeting Iran.

The global response was mixed, with some gatherings expressing approval for the military intervention, while other demonstrations criticized the strikes and raised concerns about potential escalation throughout the region.

The Associated Press photo editors compiled visual documentation of these international reactions.

A devastating military aircraft accident in Bolivia has sparked community outrage after officials destroyed millions in banknotes that were scattered across the crash site.

The Bolivian Air Force cargo plane went down Friday night in El Alto, a densely populated city, claiming 22 lives and leaving 30 people wounded. Among the fatalities were four children, while the aircraft’s lead pilot remains hospitalized in critical condition, officials reported Saturday.

The military Hercules transport was carrying 18 tons of currency designated for replacing worn bills when it crashed. Thousands of residents quickly descended on the scene to gather the money littering the ground.

Vice Interior Minister Hernan Paredes described how approximately 3,000 people converged on the crash site “with a tremendously aggressive attitude wielding sticks and stones” to collect the scattered notes. Police deployed tear gas to control the crowds and took 49 individuals into custody on vandalism charges.

Officials subsequently incinerated all the recovered banknotes, stating the currency held no legal tender status and that possessing it violated the law.

The decision to destroy the money has fueled anger among local residents already struggling with poverty. “Look at all the money they burned, there are poor families that need that money,” local resident Marcelino Poma expressed his frustration. “We need to rise up in El Alto. They took our gasoline subsidy, they hurt our household budgets, now they’re taking all the money out of the country.”

Demonstrations continued into Saturday as small groups maintained their protests against the government’s actions.

The identification process for victims remains challenging, with police chief Mirko Sokol confirming that only nine bodies have been positively identified due to severe injuries sustained in the crash.

The tragedy could have been far worse, according to Paredes, who explained that the pilots managed a last-second maneuver to avoid striking 40 residential buildings just meters away from the crash site.

Family members of the deceased are demanding accountability. “We are in shock,” said Cesar Mamani, whose relative perished in the accident. “We truly detest the government’s and the armed forces’ lack of safety measures.”

President Rodrigo Paz characterized the incident as a “day of great sorrow for El Alto and the nation,” announcing that a full investigation is underway. Search teams continue looking for the aircraft’s flight data recorder.

El Alto ranks among Bolivia’s most impoverished yet rapidly expanding urban centers. The city emerged as workers migrated toward the capital of La Paz during the late 1900s, establishing communities above what is recognized as the world’s highest capital city, where residents now rely on cable cars for daily transportation.

A high-ranking Israeli official reported Saturday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in coordinated military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel, according to Reuters. The 86-year-old leader had transformed Iran into a major anti-American power and expanded its military reach throughout the Middle East during his decades-long rule.

Iranian authorities have not yet verified the reported death of their top leader.

Saturday’s joint American-Israeli military operation targeted Iran’s senior leadership, escalating Middle Eastern tensions as President Donald Trump declared the action would eliminate a security threat to America while providing Iranians an opportunity to overthrow their government.

The ayatollah assumed Iran’s highest position of power in 1989 after the death of the Islamic Republic’s founding leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In his role as supreme leader, he wielded complete authority over the nation’s political, military and religious systems, directing both domestic affairs and international relations.

Israeli officials had long viewed Khamenei as a destabilizing regional influence, pointing to his support of Iran’s network of militant partners, including Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon. During a 12-day aerial conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued assassination threats against the supreme leader, declaring he “cannot continue to exist.”

The June conflict featured Israel launching a surprise attack on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, eliminating senior military commanders and nuclear scientists while decimating much of the country’s military leadership. Khamenei’s reported death represents another devastating setback for a nation already struggling with warfare and economic difficulties.

Throughout his tenure, Khamenei maintained the conservative ideology established by his predecessor Khomeini, blocking elected presidents who pursued more liberal domestic and foreign policies. His administration repeatedly suppressed protest movements and marginalized reform-minded politicians advocating for improved Western relations.

Under Khamenei’s leadership, Iran emerged as a dominant regional opponent of American interests, spreading its influence across Middle Eastern nations. He supported the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated with international powers and pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani, temporarily reducing Iran’s diplomatic isolation. However, relations deteriorated after President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and restored economic sanctions.

Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, Iran witnessed the weakening of its regional partners. Both Hamas and Hezbollah sustained significant damage from Israeli operations, while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had been supported by Tehran, lost power in December 2024.

Iran’s constitution established the Supreme Leader position following the 1979 revolution, granting a senior cleric ultimate power over both the president and parliament. The Assembly of Experts, consisting of 88 clerical members approved by a conservative oversight body aligned with Khamenei, officially chooses the supreme leader.

Senior Israeli security officials revealed Saturday evening their strong belief that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been successfully eliminated during coordinated military operations.

Speaking to Channel 12, a high-ranking Israeli official stated there is a “very likely” chance that Khamenei was killed in the strikes. Security agencies are currently waiting for official confirmation, though intelligence reports from operational areas are being characterized as “excellent.”

“We’d fall off our chairs if Khamenei suddenly appeared and made a live statement. The grounded assessment is that he is no longer with us,” the official stated.

A second Israeli security source commented, “Khamenei was surrounded by foolish people who didn’t understand they were playing with fire. That game is over.”

The strikes targeted Khamenei’s workplace and personal residence earlier Saturday, along with additional critical government installations, including the presidential headquarters. Social media reports and video footage indicate several structures sustained major damage or were completely destroyed.

The targeted complex sits within a heavily secured zone containing multiple regime institutions, such as the chief justice’s headquarters and primary offices of the Guardian Council, Assembly of Experts, and Supreme National Security Council Secretariat.

Intelligence reports suggested Khamenei had been relocated from the site days prior to the attack. Additional sources indicated his secure location was moved again just before Saturday’s anticipated strike.

These reports about the 86-year-old Iranian leader’s potential death come during the peak of joint US-Israeli military operations that commenced Saturday morning. Israeli political sources identify the mission as Operation Lion’s Roar, designed to completely disable the Revolutionary Guards’ and Iranian government’s command structure.

Military analysts believe Israeli and American warplanes delivered devastating strikes against Tehran’s security and political leadership while causing significant casualties among nuclear program personnel and intelligence operatives.

Iran International news outlet reports that casualties include Ali Shamkhani, an experienced Iranian security official who served as Defense Council secretary and ranked among Khamenei’s top advisers.

Iranian authorities are claiming that more than 40 schoolgirls have been killed in what they describe as an Israeli airstrike on a girls’ school in Minab, located in southeastern Iran. The Minab governor confirmed the students’ deaths, with Iranian media reporting the casualty count reached over 40 by 3:30 p.m. Tehran time, and approximately 50 others were wounded.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate that the compound housing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office and personal residence has been struck by U.S. and Israeli aircraft. Social media accounts suggest some government buildings in the area have been “flattened.” The targeted zone reportedly contains multiple high-security government facilities, including the presidential office, judiciary headquarters, and offices of the Guardian Council, Assembly of Experts, and Supreme National Security Council Secretariat.

Sources indicate Khamenei had been relocated from his usual location several days prior to the strikes. Reports from Friday suggested his whereabouts had been changed in anticipation of possible Saturday morning attacks.

Iran’s state broadcasting network has shown video of strikes hitting civilian neighborhoods but has not verified circulating reports about potential deaths among senior officials or top Revolutionary Guard commanders.

The strikes have caused widespread internet outages across Iran, with many domestic news websites going offline. Only some state media and Revolutionary Guard-affiliated channels remain operational on Telegram.

In Tehran, the airstrikes have sparked fires at multiple power facilities, including the Sattar Khan station in western Tehran, causing electrical outages in parts of the capital. Video footage and reports show targets being hit throughout Iran’s eastern and western regions, described as military and weapons facilities. Social media has circulated video of an explosion at a Revolutionary Guard installation in Kamyaran in northwestern Iran.

Hours after the strikes commenced, government officials announced that banks, pharmacies, medical facilities, and government offices would remain operational. Iran has reportedly launched missile attacks against several Persian Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. A military spokesperson warned that Iran’s retaliation would be comprehensive, with Revolutionary Guard headquarters stating all U.S. regional bases and Israel would face retaliatory strikes.

As the conflict escalates, some Tehran residents have reportedly celebrated the strikes as an opportunity to oppose the government. Iranian Telegram channels continue reporting large explosions and sustained anti-aircraft fire in the capital.

State media placed Iran’s broadcasting network on high alert Saturday morning, reorganizing staff under wartime protocols. Managers received instructions to implement backup systems and ensure continuity for essential operations, including news departments, due to potential cyber warfare and computer system disruptions.

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that American forces have initiated large-scale military action against Iran in what the Pentagon is calling ‘Operation Epic Fury.’ During a televised speech, Trump characterized the strikes as essential to neutralize what he described as urgent dangers to America, U.S. troops stationed abroad, and allied nations.

Trump made a direct appeal to Iranian people through his Truth Social platform, stating: “The hour of your freedom is at hand. … When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” He also advised Iranian civilians to seek safety during the widespread bombing campaign.

During his televised remarks, Trump labeled Iran as “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror” and emphasized that stopping Tehran’s nuclear ambitions has remained a key priority for his administration. He noted that American attacks last year targeted Iranian nuclear installations and alleged that Iran is working to reconstruct its nuclear capabilities while developing long-range missiles that could endanger U.S. forces, allies, and potentially American soil.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by launching what it called Operation “True Promise 4,” describing it as retaliation for “American-Zionist aggression against Iranian territory.” The IRGC reported conducting missile and drone attacks against the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and American military installations in Qatar and the UAE, “in addition to military and security centers in the heart of Israel.”

According to Ynet, an Iranian missile struck a structure in Tirat Carmel, injuring one individual. In Umm al-Fahm, a man sustained minor injuries from shrapnel or interceptor debris. Significant debris was also found in Kafr Manda in the lower Galilee region, though no injuries were reported there.

Alert sirens sounded in both the UAE and Bahrain, with one fatality reported in Abu Dhabi.

The Israel Defense Forces distributed video evidence of attacks on Iranian missile launch sites in western Iran, reporting that hundreds of Iranian military installations in the region, including launch platforms, were successfully targeted.

A source with ties to the Iranian government informed Reuters that high-ranking IRGC commanders and political leaders were killed during the coordinated U.S.-Israel operation. An Israeli official indicated that the strikes aimed at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other top regime and military officials. The results of these targeted strikes remain unclear at this time.

Bahraini authorities confirmed Saturday afternoon that missiles struck a United States Navy 5th Fleet support installation in what officials described as an attack launched from beyond the kingdom’s borders.

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Communications Center released a statement characterizing the strikes against locations and installations inside the nation as a clear breach of Bahrain’s territorial integrity and national security.

According to the official announcement, security and defense agencies immediately activated pre-approved crisis response protocols and began deploying appropriate countermeasures in the field.

Bahraini leadership denounced what they termed “treacherous attacks,” characterizing the strikes as a direct menace to the nation’s stability and the well-being of both citizens and foreign residents. The government declared that Bahrain “affirmed its full right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its national security and preserve its sovereignty, in coordination with its allies and partners.”

Witnesses reported hearing several explosions throughout Bahrain, particularly in proximity to the American military installation located in the Juffair district. Social media posts included footage and photographs that appeared to document detonations occurring within the base perimeter.

Military analysts noted defensive missile system activation in response to projectiles they identified as originating from Iranian territory.

Prior to the confirmed strikes, Bahraini officials had issued public safety warnings advising residents to stay away from major thoroughfares and shelter in place.

Israeli forces, backed by the United States, launched coordinated military strikes against Iranian targets in the early hours of Saturday morning, prompting Israeli officials to declare a nationwide civilian emergency as they prepared for possible counter-attacks.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the military action was designed to eliminate threats against Israel and warned that Iran might respond with strikes targeting civilian areas. Katz utilized the Civil Defense Law to establish emergency protocols nationwide and authorized special emergency measures for the home front.

Reports from Iran indicated multiple strikes occurred in Tehran and surrounding areas, with witnesses observing smoke billowing over the capital city. Iranian state media confirmed explosions in several cities including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah. According to Al Arabiya, the attacks focused on locations near Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities and Iranian intelligence operations in eastern Tehran.

Israeli military sources revealed the operation targeted Iran’s missile production capabilities, including underground facilities, as well as elements of Tehran’s air defense systems, with particular emphasis on short-range defensive equipment.

Warning sirens sounded throughout Israel immediately following the launch of strikes, while emergency alerts reached citizens’ mobile devices instructing them to remain near protective shelters. Military officials emphasized the warnings were precautionary and did not require people to stay inside protected areas.

Israeli Home Front Command instructed citizens to minimize unnecessary travel and locate their closest protective shelter.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced the closure of Israeli airspace to commercial aircraft due to the escalating situation. She advised travelers to avoid airports and stated that civilian flights would only resume when security conditions improved, requiring at least 24 hours advance notification.

A US military official confirmed to CNN that American forces were targeting military installations within Iran while Israeli forces simultaneously attacked sites connected to the Iranian regime. The source indicated the coordinated campaign was proceeding in multiple phases with ongoing strikes.

An Iranian government official speaking to Reuters indicated Tehran was preparing its response to the attacks, describing the planned retaliation as “crushing.” Israeli sources told Ynet that the military operation had been officially designated “Lion’s Roar,” replacing the previous codename “Shield of Judah.”

Israeli Defense Forces statements confirmed that both Israeli and US military units were striking Iranian government assets and military infrastructure across numerous locations. The Saberin News Agency, connected to pro-Iranian militia groups, reported explosions were detected in Tabriz in northwestern Iran, suggesting the strikes extended well beyond Tehran.

Intelligence reports from Tehran indicated the targeted facilities included installations belonging to Iran’s intelligence ministry, defense ministry, Atomic Energy Organization, and additional government offices. Security protocols throughout the city were enhanced following the attacks.

US officials speaking to The New York Times predicted the current military operation would surpass the scale of American strikes against Iranian nuclear sites conducted in June. A separate Reuters report cited an official source stating that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been relocated from Tehran to a secure location.

The military action occurs just days ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Earlier Saturday, Israeli forces also struck Hezbollah launch positions and underground installations in southern Lebanon, claiming these sites were being prepared for attacks against Israel. Military officials stated these operations aimed to reduce Hezbollah’s capacity to monitor Israeli air operations and relay intelligence to Iran.

Security analysts warned the situation could escalate into a wider regional conflict, with assessments indicating Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen would likely participate, while Hezbollah had not yet decided whether to join the fighting.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed strong support Saturday for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military action against Iran, characterizing the ongoing campaign as a ‘just war against evil.’

Joint strikes by the United States and Israel have targeted Iran’s senior leadership while demanding the government’s removal, prompting Iran to respond with multiple missile attacks against Israel and Gulf nations such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

‘We are going to stand united against this threat,’ Lapid stated during a Reuters interview in Tel Aviv, speaking shortly after exiting a bomb shelter when air raid sirens warned of an approaching Iranian assault.

According to Lapid, Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, nuclear development programs, and ideally the nation’s leadership should be ‘obliterated.’

Netanyahu and Israel’s broader political leadership have consistently maintained that Iran represents an existential danger to the Jewish state.

Despite serving briefly as prime minister in 2022 and maintaining fierce opposition to Netanyahu, Lapid announced he would temporarily suspend political disagreements with the current leader during this period of escalating tensions.

Lapid also expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for what he characterized as America’s leadership role in the Iranian operation, praising Trump’s display of courage.

The current conflict follows a surprise Israeli assault on Iran last June, which triggered a 12-day war between the regional powers that concluded when the United States joined Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.

That previous confrontation resulted in over 30 Israeli deaths from Iranian missile strikes, including attacks on the densely populated Tel Aviv area, while Israeli military action killed more than 900 people in Iran.

When questioned about Israel’s ability to maintain a weeks-long or months-long conflict with Iran, Lapid emphasized that the country was ‘way stronger’ than commonly perceived, while expressing doubt about Iran’s capacity for sustained warfare.

Israel must conduct national elections by October, with current polling suggesting Netanyahu’s coalition government may struggle to maintain power despite his record as the nation’s longest-serving prime minister.

The opposition remains divided, though many factions aim to establish a government excluding Netanyahu. Surveys indicate Lapid’s Yesh Atid party could face seat losses in the upcoming election, though it may still play a crucial role in government formation.

MILAN – Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto became stranded in Dubai over the weekend after military operations targeting Iran forced airlines to cancel flights throughout the region, according to sources within the defense ministry.

Crosetto had departed Rome Friday night on a commercial airline to reunite with his family members, who were already vacationing in the United Arab Emirates. The defense minister had planned to fly back to Italy Saturday evening.

However, those travel plans were disrupted when U.S. and Israeli forces conducted attacks on Iran, prompting major carriers to halt service to the region. Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, announced it would suspend all flights to and from Dubai through Sunday as a safety precaution.

The flight suspensions left the defense minister temporarily unable to return to his duties in Rome while he remained with his family in Dubai.

Military strikes between the United States, Israel, and Iran on Saturday have triggered widespread condemnation from world leaders who are demanding an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East.

The confrontation began when U.S. and Israeli forces conducted coordinated strikes against Iran. Iranian officials responded by firing missiles toward Israel while denouncing the attacks as both unprovoked and in violation of international law.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a strong rebuke of the military escalation. “I condemn today’s military escalation in the Middle East. The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security,” Guterres stated.

He continued his call for restraint, saying: “I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.”

The UN chief emphasized that “there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, in full accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.”

European leaders from Germany, France, and Britain issued a unified response criticizing Iran’s military actions. The three nations stated that Iran must stop conducting indiscriminate military operations.

“We reiterate our commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life,” declared French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in their collaborative statement, while expressing their desire for renewed diplomatic talks.

Macron separately demanded an emergency UN Security Council session, warning that military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran creates “serious consequences” for global peace and security.

“The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilise the region,” Macron posted on social media platform X.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk expressed deep concern about civilian casualties from the military operations.

“I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran. As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price,” Turk stated.

He warned that “Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction and human misery.”

Turk appealed for reason, saying: “To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the ‘negotiating table’ where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier.”

He cautioned that continued fighting “risks an even wider conflict, that will inevitably lead to further senseless civilian deaths and destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East region.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered backing for U.S. actions, stating that Canada supports America “acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez took a different approach, posting on X: “We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law.”

Spain’s Foreign Minister Albares reinforced Madrid’s position by demanding adherence to international law, reduced tensions and diplomatic dialogue, while expressing “support and solidarity with those who are receiving the strikes.”

“The attacks must stop,” the Spanish foreign minister added.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi revealed that active diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States mediated by his nation were “yet again undermined” by the military strikes.

“Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this… I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war,” he posted on X.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared: “I reiterate that we will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity.”

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide questioned the legal justification for the strikes, stating: “The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but it is not in line with international law. Preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry blamed Iranian leadership for the current crisis, saying: “The cause of the current events is precisely the violence and impunity of the Iranian regime, in particular the killings and repression of peaceful protesters, which have become particularly widespread in recent months.”

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, offered a cynical assessment of diplomatic efforts.

“The peacemaker once again showed his face,” Medvedev commented. “All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation. No one doubted it. No one really wanted to negotiate anything.”

He concluded with a historical comparison: “The question is who has more patience to wait for the inglorious end of their enemy. The USA is only 249 years old. The Persian Empire was founded more than 2,500 years ago. Let’s see in 100 years…”

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Residents across central Israel spent Saturday moving repeatedly between bomb shelters as Iran launched continuous rocket attacks following a major joint military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Numerous residential buildings in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods lack proper protective facilities. In the mixed Arab-Jewish community of Jaffa within Tel Aviv, over 100 residents sought refuge in a public underground shelter beneath a local park. The diverse group included Muslim families with small children, Jewish seminary students, and more than a dozen pets.

Various groups spread out on personal mattresses and engaged in card games, while others distributed food among themselves. Observant Muslims continued their Ramadan fasting despite the circumstances. Most shelter occupants monitored their mobile devices for news updates as warning sirens repeatedly echoed through the area. When evening arrived, Muslims were compelled to conduct their iftar meal — the traditional sunset meal ending the daily fast — within the bomb shelter.

“Of course we expected it, even though we didn’t want it to happen,” said Idit Cohen, who lives near the park. She noted, however, that it was one of the times when you could see the community come together.

Cohen’s son was called up for emergency reserve military service, and an unknown person in the shelter offered transportation to his military base, despite being an observant Jew who typically avoids driving during Saturday, the Jewish sabbath.

“I want it to end as soon as possible, it’s a nightmare, people are more and more frustrated and tired,” Cohen said. “We see families with babies and young kids here, but there are elderly people that aren’t able to keep running here all day.”

Over the previous two and a half years, Israeli citizens have grown accustomed to this emergency protocol through conflicts involving Hamas forces in Gaza, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, Houthi fighters in Yemen, and a 12-day confrontation with Iran last June.

Igor Libenson, a construction worker and father of two sons, said his family was mostly tired from the constant moving back and forth. “The kids aren’t scared, we were here also in June in the same situation,” said Libenson, whose sons are 4 and 7 years old.

Some of the religious Jews sang psalms with their arms slung around each others’ shoulders.

“We look at this in the long term. We suffer today but we do hope that it will resolve the problems of tomorrow,” said Maya Tutian, a resident of Tel Aviv, who was in a public shelter in the northern part of the city. “The Iranian regime is not just a threat of us, people who live here in Tel Aviv, but for the entire world.”

During the previous year’s conflict with Iran, some residents lacking home shelter access slept in Tel Aviv’s subway stations and underground shopping center parking areas.

Although current Israeli construction codes mandate reinforced safe rooms designed to protect against rocket attacks, Iran deploys significantly more powerful ballistic weapons. Shelter availability remains critically insufficient in lower-income neighborhoods and communities, particularly affecting Arab populations and countryside regions.

According to the Negev Coexistence Forum, a regional advocacy organization, more than two-thirds of Israel’s Bedouin population lacks shelter access. During the previous summer, numerous Bedouin families constructed improvised protective spaces using whatever materials they could find: buried metal containers, buried vehicles, and repurposed building materials.

Iran initiated its missile campaign shortly after the combined Israeli-American military operation began early Saturday. By evening, Israeli military officials reported that dozens of projectiles had been fired toward Israel.

Israeli law enforcement and emergency response teams reported several individuals sustained minor injuries from missile impacts, while military defense systems successfully intercepted numerous incoming projectiles.

Israeli authorities issued nationwide emergency alerts and elevated the country to maximum readiness status, suspending educational activities and most public events throughout the nation.

JUBA, South Sudan — Political tensions are escalating in South Sudan as authorities continue arresting former government officials in what experts describe as evidence of growing instability within President Salva Kiir’s administration, which is simultaneously battling an armed insurgency.

The most recent detention occurred Friday when former Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol was apprehended as he tried to enter Uganda. His arrest follows the detention of Marial Dongrin Ater, another ex-finance and planning minister who was dismissed from his position in August.

Over the past seven days, authorities have also taken into custody a former head of the central bank, a former deputy secretary in the petroleum ministry, and a general from the domestic intelligence service who had previously worked in the same department.

The specific charges behind these detentions have not been made public.

Speaking to Eye Radio, government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny characterized the arrests as “not political” and described them as a “direct response to irregularities identified within the monetary system.” He indicated that an investigative committee is examining “financial malpractices.”

Civic leader Edmund Yakani described the atmosphere in Juba as anxious, with politicians worried about potential arrest. “So far, these arrests have mostly targeted financial institutions, but if the arrests carry into the security sectors it will be very dangerous,” he stated Saturday.

According to Daniel Akech from the International Crisis Group, these detentions indicate a shrinking of the president’s “big tent” coalition strategy, which Kiir has used for years to control the country’s fragmented political environment.

South Sudan’s oil-reliant economy is suffering severe damage from the conflict in Sudan, as the nation’s entire petroleum output travels through Sudanese pipeline infrastructure.

Pipeline damage from the Sudan conflict, which started in 2023, has periodically shut down more than 60% of oil production. World Bank projections show South Sudan’s economy contracted by 24% in 2025.

The International Crisis Group cautioned in 2024 that oil production disruptions could trigger widespread political violence as Kiir loses the petroleum revenues needed “to keep South Sudan’s rivalrous generals and warlords on his side.”

The government is already confronting an armed opposition movement. Opposition leader Riek Machar remains confined to his residence and is facing trial on subversion allegations, which he refutes. Many of his supporters have been detained or removed from government positions. Kiir removed Machar from his deputy role in September following the criminal accusations.

Violence has surged dramatically since Machar’s dismissal. United Nations data indicates thousands died in 2025, with 280,000 people forced from their homes since December.

A United Nations investigation concluded that South Sudan’s leadership is “systematically dismantling” the 2018 peace accord, which was designed to end civil warfare and restore Machar to a power-sharing arrangement with Kiir. The United States is pushing for renewed peace negotiations.

Major energy companies and shipping operators have halted petroleum and natural gas deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, according to industry sources who spoke Saturday.

Iran’s government has declared the strategic waterway off-limits to maritime traffic in response to the attacks, prompting widespread shipping disruptions in the region.

“Our ships will stay put for several days,” one top executive at a major trading desk said. Satellite tracking data reveals numerous vessels accumulating near major ports like Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, with ships avoiding passage through the Hormuz corridor.

Ships operating in the region have been receiving radio communications from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stating that “no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz,” according to an official with the European Union naval mission Aspides.

British naval authorities countered that Iran’s navigation ban lacks legal authority and recommended that commercial vessels proceed through the area with heightened caution.

The international tanker organization INTERTANKO reported that the US Navy has issued warnings against shipping operations throughout the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, and Strait of Hormuz regions, stating it cannot ensure vessel security.

Greek maritime officials issued guidance Saturday recommending that ships avoid the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz areas, according to an advisory document.

Approximately 20% of worldwide petroleum from major producers including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran travels through the Hormuz passage, along with substantial quantities of liquefied natural gas from Qatar.

Maritime analyst Laura Page from Kpler consultancy noted that fourteen LNG carriers have demonstrated signs of decelerating, changing course or stopping near the Strait, with numbers expected to increase and potentially impacting Qatari natural gas exports.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has launched his most dangerous foreign policy venture yet with massive military strikes against Iran, a decision that could define his presidency while risking a wider Middle East war.

The president coordinated with Israel on Saturday to begin what the Pentagon calls “Operation Epic Fury,” offering minimal justification to Americans for what may become the largest U.S. military engagement since conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This marks a dramatic shift for Trump, who previously favored quick, targeted missions like last month’s rapid operation in Venezuela. Military experts now warn of a potentially lengthy conflict that could spiral into regional warfare across the oil-rich Middle East.

The president has established an ambitious goal of toppling Iran’s government in Tehran, believing aerial bombardments can spark civilian uprisings against the current leadership.

However, military history shows air power alone has never successfully achieved regime change without ground troops – an outcome most defense analysts believe unlikely to succeed now.

“Most Americans will wake up Saturday morning and wonder why we are at war with Iran, what is the goal, and why U.S. bases in the Middle East are under attack,” stated Daniel Shapiro, former Pentagon official and ex-U.S. ambassador to Israel, currently with the Atlantic Council think-tank in Washington.

Trump’s Iran obsession represents the clearest demonstration of how international affairs and military action have dominated his second-term priorities during the past 13 months, frequently overshadowing domestic concerns like living costs that polling indicates matter more to most Americans.

His advisors have privately pressed him for weeks to concentrate on voters’ financial concerns, recognizing the political risks before November’s midterm elections where Republicans could lose control of one or both congressional chambers.

Trump’s early-morning announcement on Truth Social explaining the Pentagon’s “Operation Epic Fury” offered only vague justifications for attacking a nation the U.S. has confronted for decades while avoiding full-scale war.

The president claimed he would eliminate Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities – which defense experts say pose no direct U.S. threat – while providing Iranians opportunity to overthrow their government.

Trump declared American forces would destroy much of Iran’s military infrastructure and prevent nuclear weapons development. Iran maintains its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes only.

DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS ABANDONED

Trump’s sudden military action, utilizing massive U.S. forces assembled regionally in recent weeks, appears to eliminate immediate diplomatic possibilities with Iran. Thursday’s nuclear negotiations in Geneva failed to produce any progress.

Some administration officials previously suggested bombing campaigns might force Tehran back to negotiations for major concessions. Instead, Iran retaliated Saturday by firing missiles at U.S. ally Israel and Gulf Arab oil producers.

Trump’s video emphasis on urgent threats from Iran’s ballistic and nuclear programs resembles arguments President George W. Bush made for Iraq’s 2003 invasion, later proven based on incorrect intelligence and false information.

The president’s Tuesday State of the Union claim that Iran will soon possess missiles capable of reaching America lacks support from U.S. intelligence reports, according to sources familiar with assessments. Experts also dispute his administration’s recent assertions about Tehran’s ability to rapidly advance nuclear capabilities.

Saturday’s strikes removed any uncertainty that Trump seeks regime change in Tehran, following his January threats to attack Iran supporting street protesters facing violent suppression.

Analysts doubt Trump’s strategy can topple Iran’s established clerical government, which has survived crushing sanctions and repeated mass demonstrations, especially without deploying U.S. ground forces.

Initial strike waves primarily targeted Iranian leadership, according to informed sources. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had left Tehran before attacks and relocated to secure facilities, sources confirmed. However, several senior Revolutionary Guards commanders and political leaders were killed, an Iranian establishment source reported.

Even successful elimination of top officials could create unintended chaos across the 93-million-person nation or potentially establish military rule that might prove more hostile to Western interests and oppressive domestically, analysts warned.

“He wants to change the government,” explained Jon Alterman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank in Washington. “But it’s hard to change the government from the air. It’s hard to change the minds of Iranians through the air.”

Tyson Barker, former senior U.S. official now with the Atlantic Council, said Trump’s calls for Iranian popular uprising would likely fail.

“They’re really exposing these poor Iranian people by saying, ‘Stand up and overthrow your government. We got your back’,” Barker observed.

GROWING MILITARY APPETITE

Trump’s increasing willingness to use military force since beginning his second term led to briefings before Iran strikes that highlighted both risks of significant U.S. casualties and potential Middle East shifts favoring American interests, a U.S. official told Reuters.

The president appears encouraged by June’s bombing of Iran’s primary nuclear facilities, which he deemed highly successful, and January’s operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, giving America substantial influence over that OPEC nation’s enormous oil reserves.

Trump may have committed himself to Iran action through repeated military threats while assembling naval forces he couldn’t maintain indefinitely in the region.

Military analysts consider Iran a more challenging, better-equipped opponent than Venezuela, despite air defenses and missile systems severely damaged in joint U.S.-Israeli June strikes.

“Iran is a more formidable military power, and even what the response is right now in the Gulf – they’re willing to cross lines that they weren’t willing to cross before,” said Nicole Grajewski with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

However, Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a research institute considered pro-Israel and hawkish toward Iran, argued Tehran’s weakened condition justifies Trump’s risks to limit nuclear capabilities.

Whether Iran’s government survives or not, he suggested severely damaging Iran’s nuclear and missile programs could represent victory for Trump.

VIENNA – The International Atomic Energy Agency announced Saturday that it has detected no radiation effects following recent military strikes involving Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, though the organization did not specify whether any Iranian nuclear facilities were hit during the attacks.

The UN’s nuclear oversight body posted on social media that it remains vigilant about Middle East developments and is calling for all parties to exercise caution to prevent nuclear safety hazards for regional populations. The agency stated it maintains ongoing communication with nations throughout the area.

“The IAEA is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, and urges restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people in the region,” the organization wrote. “The IAEA is in permanent contact with countries in the region, so far no evidence of any radiological impact.”

The statement comes amid escalating tensions involving U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iranian targets, as well as retaliatory actions by Iran in neighboring countries.

WASHINGTON – Intelligence analysts concluded that Iran’s military elite would probably seize control if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei perished during recent U.S.-Israeli military operations, according to two sources with knowledge of the classified briefings.

The Central Intelligence Agency’s analysis, compiled during the two weeks leading up to Saturday’s strikes, examined various outcomes that might follow American military intervention and whether such actions could successfully topple Iran’s current government – a stated goal of the Trump administration.

Sources familiar with the intelligence reports, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, emphasized that analysts did not definitively predict any single outcome.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite military organization dedicated to preserving Shi’ite Muslim clerical authority in Iran, would most likely fill any power vacuum, the assessments indicated.

The CIA refused to provide comment on the intelligence evaluations.

For several weeks, President Donald Trump has publicly expressed interest in seeing Iran’s government overthrown, though he has not detailed Washington’s preferred replacement leadership.

During a Saturday morning video statement, Trump labeled Tehran a “terrorist regime” and urged Iranian citizens to overthrow their government, claiming the military strikes would create conditions for a popular revolt.

The combined U.S.-Israeli assault followed extensive internal government discussions about whether to target Iran after December’s deadly demonstrations there.

American diplomats recently attempted to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Tehran as a way to prevent military action.

During congressional briefings last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed the Gang of Eight leadership that military operations would probably proceed, while noting Trump might reconsider if nuclear talks succeeded. The Geneva negotiations ultimately failed to produce an accord.

On Friday evening, Rubio alerted the Gang of Eight that Iranian strikes would likely begin within hours, though he indicated the president could still reverse course, two informed sources revealed.

Saturday’s coordinated U.S. and Israeli military strikes specifically aimed at Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s headquarters, targeting the 86-year-old ruler who has maintained an iron grip on power for more than three decades.

Intelligence sources indicate Khamenei was relocated to a protected site away from Tehran before the bombardment occurred, though Reuters has been unable to confirm his current condition. Satellite photography reveals extensive destruction at his Tehran complex.

According to Israeli officials, eliminating Khamenei was an objective of the military operation. Such an outcome would represent a catastrophic setback for the Islamic Republic, which he has governed since 1989, following his rise during the religious revolution that overthrew Iran’s monarchy and transformed Middle Eastern politics.

THE MOST SERIOUS CHALLENGE YET

While the octogenarian leader has weathered international pressure previously, Saturday’s assault comes as he confronts his most severe political crisis in 36 years of leadership, while simultaneously managing delicate nuclear program discussions with Washington.

Earlier this year, Khamenei authorized the most brutal suppression of dissent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, declaring that citizens demonstrating against economic hardships “should be put in their place” before security personnel fired upon crowds shouting “Death to the dictator!”

Just eight months ago, Khamenei was compelled to seek shelter during nearly two weeks of sustained Israeli and American bombing campaigns that eliminated multiple trusted advisors and Revolutionary Guard officers while destroying valuable nuclear and missile installations.

That military campaign stemmed indirectly from Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which Iranian forces backed. The assault not only sparked the Gaza conflict but also prompted Israel to target Tehran’s other regional allies.

Following Hezbollah’s weakening in Lebanon and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s removal from power, Khamenei’s regional influence has diminished significantly. Meanwhile, Washington continues pressing Iran to surrender its ballistic missile arsenal – its final major strategic advantage.

Khamenei has categorically rejected any discussion of missile disarmament, viewing these weapons as Iran’s sole remaining protection against Israeli military action. This stubborn stance may have contributed to provoking the recent airstrikes.

As American military assets accumulated throughout the region, Khamenei’s strategic thinking reflected a personality shaped by revolutionary upheaval, prolonged conflict with Iraq, decades of confrontation with America, and the methodical consolidation of authority.

Though elected representatives handle routine governance, no significant policy decisions – particularly those involving the United States – advance without Khamenei’s direct authorization. His command of Iran’s intricate clerical governing system, combined with restricted democratic elements, prevents any rival faction from questioning his choices.

KHAMENEI’S UNLIKELY PATH TO ABSOLUTE POWER

During his early leadership years, many observers considered Khamenei ineffective and an improbable replacement for the Islamic Republic’s deceased founder, the magnetic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Having not attained the religious title of ayatollah upon his appointment as Supreme Leader, Khamenei initially struggled to exercise power through spiritual influence, as the theocratic framework intended.

Following years of difficulty escaping his predecessor’s legacy, Khamenei ultimately established dominance by creating a powerful security network answerable exclusively to him.

Khamenei maintains deep suspicion toward Western nations, especially America, which he has consistently accused of plotting his overthrow.

During a characteristically combative address following January’s demonstrations, he attributed the civil unrest to U.S. President Donald Trump, stating: “We consider the U.S. president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation.”

Despite his doctrinal inflexibility, Khamenei has demonstrated readiness to compromise when the Islamic Republic’s existence faces threat.

His doctrine of “heroic flexibility,” introduced in 2013, allows strategic concessions to achieve larger objectives, echoing Khomeini’s 1988 decision to accept a ceasefire following eight years of warfare with Iraq.

Khamenei’s cautious support for Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with six global powers represented another such calculation, as he determined that sanctions relief was essential for economic stability and strengthening his political control.

Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement during his initial presidency in 2018, reimposing devastating economic sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by progressively abandoning all negotiated restrictions on its nuclear activities.

SECURITY APPARATUS ANCHORS KHAMENEI’S AUTHORITY

During periods of mounting pressure, Khamenei has consistently relied upon the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij, a paramilitary organization comprising hundreds of thousands of volunteers, to eliminate opposition.

These forces suppressed the demonstrations that erupted following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s controversial presidential reelection in 2009 amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud.

In 2022, Khamenei displayed identical ruthlessness by detaining, imprisoning, or executing protesters outraged by the custody death of young Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

The Guards and Basij again crushed January’s latest protest wave.

His authority also depends heavily on the quasi-governmental financial network called Setad, operating under Khamenei’s personal supervision. Valued at tens of billions of dollars, this empire has expanded dramatically during his reign, channeling billions into Revolutionary Guard investments.

International scholars describe a secretive ideological leader consumed by betrayal fears – anxieties stemming from a June 1981 assassination attempt involving a bomb concealed in a tape recorder that permanently damaged his right arm.

According to his official biography, Khamenei endured severe torture in 1963 when, at age 24, he began serving multiple prison sentences for political activities under the shah’s regime.

Following the Revolution, Khamenei served as deputy defense minister and developed close Revolutionary Guard relationships during the 1980-88 Iraq war, which cost one million lives on both sides.

He secured the presidency with Khomeini’s backing but emerged as an unexpected successor choice when the supreme leader died, lacking both popular support and superior religious qualifications.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace analyst Karim Sadjadpour noted that this “accident of history” transformed a “weak president to an initially weak supreme leader to one of the five most powerful Iranians of the last 100 years.”

The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency session for Saturday following military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran, escalating tensions throughout the Middle East region.

According to U.N. diplomatic sources, the 15-member Security Council will convene at 4 p.m. New York time (2100 GMT). The session will be led by Britain, which currently serves as the council’s monthly president.

The emergency gathering was requested by Russia and China, with Russia’s U.N. mission describing the strikes as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Additional support for the emergency session came from France, Bahrain, and Colombia, according to diplomatic sources.

“During the Security Council meeting, we will demand from the United States and Israel to immediately cease their illegal and escalatory actions and embark on a path toward a political and diplomatic settlement,” Russia’s statement declared.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to address the Security Council during Saturday’s session, according to diplomatic sources.

Prior to the scheduled meeting, Guterres released a public statement criticizing the military escalation throughout the Middle East region. He stated that the “use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security.”

“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table,” Guterres declared in his statement.

Massive crowds gathered in Athens and cities throughout Greece on Saturday, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the nation’s most devastating railway tragedy while calling for accountability before criminal proceedings begin next month.

Transportation across the country ground to a standstill as workers abandoned their posts to participate in the demonstrations. Outside Greece’s parliament building, demonstrators placed flowers and displayed signs calling for “Justice,” while the names of all 57 victims — primarily students — were spray-painted in red letters on the pavement.

The tragedy occurred when a passenger train struck a freight train in a head-on collision at Tempi in Greece’s central region.

This catastrophe has emerged as a powerful representation of governmental failures, highlighting safety oversights and decades of railway infrastructure abandonment.

Driven by widespread distrust of political leaders, who enjoy broad legal immunity under Greek law, the previous year’s widespread demonstrations represented the largest public protests in recent memory.

Law enforcement deployed thousands of officers throughout Athens on Saturday. Similar rallies took place in other countries as well.

“We seek one thing: Justice,” said Pavlos Aslanidis, head of the victims’ relatives association in a speech.

Following the completion of a judicial review this year, numerous non-political defendants will face court proceedings beginning March 23, facing accusations that include causing deaths through traffic violations, negligent homicide, and inflicting bodily injury.

Demonstrators are demanding systemic changes and political responsibility. “It wasn’t an accident, it was murder,” declared one protest sign in Athens.

Investigations revealed that a European Union co-financed initiative to implement safety technology began in 2014 but remained significantly delayed by 2023. Family members have also alleged that officials attempted to conceal evidence.

The center-right administration, which rejects any misconduct allegations, maintains that legal proceedings will illuminate the truth and has committed to comprehensive railway system overhaul by 2027.

President Donald Trump was warned about the possibility of significant American casualties before authorizing military strikes against Iran, while also being told the operation could reshape Middle East power dynamics for generations, according to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters.

The Pentagon’s ‘Operation Epic Fury’ launched Saturday has thrust the Middle East into an uncertain new phase of conflict. Combined U.S. and Israeli forces targeted multiple locations throughout Iran, prompting Iranian counterstrikes against Israel and neighboring Gulf nations.

According to the anonymous official, military advisers presented the mission to Trump as carrying both substantial dangers and potentially transformative benefits.

The president seemed to acknowledge these stakes when he stated that ‘the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost.’

‘But we’re doing this not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,’ Trump declared during a televised announcement of the combat operations.

‘For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder … We’re not gonna put up with it any longer.’

These intelligence assessments from Trump’s security advisers shed light on the decision-making process behind what may be America’s most dangerous military venture since the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Before authorizing the strikes, Trump met with key officials including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Admiral Brad Cooper, who commands U.S. Middle East operations through Central Command, traveled to Washington Thursday for White House Situation Room consultations.

A second U.S. official revealed that pre-strike briefings outlined numerous potential threats, including overwhelming Iranian missile barrages against multiple American bases and proxy force attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.

Despite America’s substantial military deployment, the official noted limitations in regional air defense capabilities that had been rapidly positioned.

Military analysts warn the developing conflict could spiral dangerously, with the first official noting Pentagon plans offer no guaranteed outcomes.

While Trump has urged Iranians to overthrow their government, Nicole Grajewski from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace expressed skepticism about such prospects.

‘The Iranian opposition is pretty fragmented. It’s unclear what the population is willing to do in terms of rising up,’ Grajewski explained.

Both officials demanded anonymity given the classified nature of internal deliberations.

Neither the White House nor Pentagon provided immediate responses to comment requests.

In preparation for the assault, Trump authorized massive military reinforcements across the Middle East. Reuters previously reported on extensive planning for sustained Iranian operations, including targeting specific officials.

An Israeli source indicated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were both targeted, though strike results remain unclear.

Trump outlined ambitious goals Saturday, vowing to eliminate Tehran’s threat to America while enabling Iranians to remove their current leadership. His strategy includes dismantling Iran’s military capabilities and preventing nuclear weapons development, though Iran denies pursuing such weapons.

‘We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground… We’re going to annihilate their navy,’ he announced. ‘We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.’

This decision reflects Trump’s growing willingness to accept military risks, surpassing even last month’s special operations raid that captured Venezuela’s president.

The Iranian campaign also exceeds the risk level of Trump’s June order to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened all American regional assets, promising continued retaliation until ‘the enemy is decisively defeated.’

Security experts highlight Iran’s diverse retaliatory options, spanning missile attacks, drone warfare, and cyber operations.

Former Pentagon Middle East official Daniel Shapiro, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Israel, cautioned that Tehran retains significant strike capabilities despite the allied assault.

‘Iran has many more ballistic missiles that can reach U.S. bases than the U.S. has interceptors … some Iranian weapons will get through,’ Shapiro warned. ‘(The strikes are) a major gamble.’

Iran’s top religious authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is preparing to deliver public remarks following weekend military operations that targeted high-ranking Iranian officials, according to state-run Al-Alam television.

The announcement comes just hours after coordinated strikes by American and Israeli forces took place on Saturday, with Iran’s Supreme Leader expected to address the nation momentarily.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Saturday that the timing and location of upcoming three-way peace negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will hinge on Middle East security concerns and what he called “real diplomatic possibilities.”

The Ukrainian leader indicated he plans to provide new instructions to his country’s negotiating delegation for the discussions, though he did not reveal the specifics of those directives.

Earlier this week on Thursday, Zelenskyy had indicated the next round of diplomatic talks would likely occur in Abu Dhabi during the first week of March.

The situation has become more complicated after the United Arab Emirates found itself involved in regional conflict following joint U.S. and Israeli air operations targeting Iran.