Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been confirmed dead following massive US and Israeli air strikes, sparking swift retaliation across the Gulf region as the Middle East conflict escalates dramatically.
Iranian state television announced Khamenei’s death on Sunday morning, broadcasting archive images with a black banner after US President Donald Trump had earlier declared on his Truth Social platform that “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead.”
The announcement came after the United States and Israel launched waves of strikes on Saturday against targets in Iran, with Israel deploying 200 fighter jets in what it called an “extensive attack” hitting more than 500 targets.
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Iranian media also reported the deaths of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, whilst the country’s judiciary confirmed that the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, and security adviser Ali Shamkhani were also “martyred” in the strikes.
Gulf region under fire
Iran has responded with unprecedented retaliation across the Gulf, targeting US military bases and civilian infrastructure in multiple countries. Fresh explosions were heard across Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday morning, with AFP correspondents reporting thick black smoke rising on the clear morning horizon in southern Doha.
The United Arab Emirates bore the brunt of Saturday’s attacks, with Iran firing 137 missiles and 209 drones at the country, according to the UAE defence ministry. Two people were killed in Abu Dhabi, including a Pakistani civilian, whilst fires and smoke were seen at Dubai landmarks The Palm and Burj Al Arab.
Qatar officials said Iran had launched 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf state, with eight people injured and one in critical condition despite most projectiles being intercepted.
In Bahrain’s capital Manama, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Iranian drones and shrapnel slammed into residential buildings, with social media footage showing smoke and fire from high-rises.
Trump threatens overwhelming response
President Trump has issued stark warnings to Iran following the retaliation, threatening force “never been seen before” if attacks continue.
“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Sunday.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the campaign sent a clear message: “We will hunt you down and we will kill you.”
Trump announced that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East.”
Regional impact spreads
The conflict has disrupted vital global supply chains, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards moving to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil and gas passes.
Multiple countries including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel have closed their airspace to civilian traffic, with airlines cancelling flights across the Middle East.
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In Israel, sirens sounded across central regions and parts of the occupied West Bank as the military responded to Iranian missile fire. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported one woman killed and at least 21 injured in the Tel Aviv area.
International response
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that military action “carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control.”
Gulf states condemned Iran’s “cowardly” attacks in a joint statement, whilst Russia slammed the US-Israeli strikes as a “dangerous adventure” that could spark regional “catastrophe.”
In Tehran, thousands of mourners gathered in Revolution Square, dressed mostly in black and chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel” whilst waving Iranian flags and holding photos of Khamenei.
Iranian state television has announced a 40-day mourning period and seven public holidays following the ayatollah’s death, with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other officials leading the country during a transitional period.
