American and Israeli attacks on Iran result in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior Iranian leaders.
By Nathan Morley
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday morning in his office during what Iranian officials described as a US–Israeli attack.
US President Donald Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and urged Iranians to “take back their country.”
Iranian authorities vowed “the most devastating offensive operation” against US bases and Israel in response. For his part, President Trump said the United States would answer with “force never seen before” if Iran retaliated.
Meanwhile, Israel said its forces were striking targets “in the heart of Tehran” as Iran resumed air attacks on Arab Gulf states. Strikes were reported Sunday in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar’s capital Doha, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
In Israel, officials in Tel Aviv said Iranian ballistic missiles damaged 40 buildings and killed two people. Israel’s ambulance service said 20 others were taken to hospitals.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Tehran had been hit by 60 attacks in 24 hours, leaving 57 people dead.
Earlier, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called to state “clearly and unequivocally that Cyprus was not a target.”
The comment followed reports from U.K. defense sources that two Iranian missiles were fired toward Cyprus, where British military bases are located.
A Cyprus government spokesperson later denied this, saying there was “no indication that there was a threat to the country.”
Meanwhile, airlines continued to cancel and divert flights across the Middle East.
