A leadership council is formed to guide the nation; Trump claims 48 Iranian leaders were killed in one fell swoop; Iranian attacks kill 9 people
Satellite image of a destroyed residential complex belonging to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after a joint US-Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Photo: Reuters
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN:
Iran has vowed retaliation following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike, as authorities quickly formed an interim leadership structure to guide the country through the current crisis.
State media described the assassination as a decisive attack on the Islamic Republic’s political and religious leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that avenging Khamenei’s death was “a duty and right of the nation.”
As the war entered its second day, Israeli forces launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran, declaring that the goal was to dominate the skies. Iran, in return, fired missiles at several neighboring countries and attacked at least two ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media confirmed that the supreme leader, 86, died while working at his central leadership complex, along with members of his family, including his daughter and grandchildren. Pezeshkian described the attack as a war against all Muslims.
In televised remarks, Pezeshkian said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers that it has the legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.” He added that it was a “declaration of war against Muslims”, directed especially at the Shiite community.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in remarks directed at Trump and his close ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Iran’s retaliation against the United States and Israel would be fierce.
“We will deal blows so terrifying that you yourselves will be forced to beg. I say to Trump and Netanyahu and their agents and proxies, I repeat, I say to these two filthy criminals and all their agents: you have crossed our red line and you must pay the price for it.”
Iranian security chief Ali Larijani warned that the country would attack its enemies with unprecedented force. “We will give them such terrifying blows that they will beg for mercy,” Larijani said in televised statements.
Iran’s security leaders acted quickly to ensure continuity of governance. A provisional council was formed consisting of the president, the head of the judiciary and a representative of the Guardian Council.
Cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed to the leadership council, which will govern until the Assembly of Experts selects a permanent supreme leader. The government announced a 40-day mourning period along with seven days of holidays in honor of Khamenei.
Meanwhile, thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran’s central squares, carrying portraits of the late leader and chanting slogans against the United States and Israel. However, public sentiment within Iran appeared divided, as some anti-government citizens were reported to be celebrating.
The joint US-Israeli campaign, codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”, killed Khamenei along with several top military and intelligence commanders. Trump said in an interview on Sunday that “no one can believe the success we are having, 48 leaders are gone in one fell swoop.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran, declaring that the goal was to dominate its skies. Officials claimed that the air operations destroyed about half of Iran’s missile stockpile and dismantled defense networks throughout western and central Iran.
The Pentagon said three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded during the operations. US military officials confirmed the continuation of combat missions, describing the campaign as ongoing and aimed at degrading Iranian command structures.
Iran responded with widespread missile attacks across the region. Israel’s ambulance service reported nine deaths in Beit Shemesh. Explosions were also reported in Dubai, Doha, Manama and Riyadh, where casualties were reported.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported three deaths and dozens of injuries since the Iranian attacks began. Kuwait confirmed one death and 32 injuries, while some victims in the region were foreign nationals.
Regional aviation and port infrastructure also suffered damage. Facilities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other Gulf cities were hit by debris from intercepted drones and missiles. Operations in the Jebel Ali port area were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure.
Sea routes were severely disrupted following attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared the pass closed. Major shipping companies, including Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, suspended regional operations.
The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as LNG giant Qatar, according to ship tracking data from the platform MarineTraffic.
Two commercial vessels were hit in separate incidents. A tanker off Oman caught fire, but the fire was later brought under control. Iranian state media claimed another oil tanker was sinking after attempting to transit the strategic waterway.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard also said it had launched an attack on the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, although the US military said it had sunk an Iranian ship.
Cybersecurity incidents accompanied the military escalation. Several Iranian websites and a religious calendar app with more than five million downloads were hacked and displayed messages urging Iranian forces to disarm. Internet connectivity in Iran has dropped dramatically.
President Trump warned that Washington would attack Iran with “unprecedented force” if retaliation continued. He also said during interviews that military operations against Iran were “ahead of schedule” and advancing rapidly.
