Missile exchanges intensify across the region as casualty counts rise in Iran, Israel and Gulf states.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
An explosion shook central Tehran on Sunday as U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran continued, with President Donald Trump saying the campaign is progressing “ahead of schedule” and that dozens of senior Iranian leaders have already been killed.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said, “It’s moving along. It’s moving along rapidly. This has been this way for 47 years. It’s moving along rapidly. Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly.”
In separate remarks, the president reiterated that 48 senior Iranian figures had been killed in the joint strikes.
Blasts in Tehran sent a plume of smoke over an area containing government buildings as Iranian officials reported more than 200 deaths since the bombardment began. The strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders, according to Iranian authorities. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states, while Israel pledged what it described as “non-stop” strikes targeting Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.
The U.S. military confirmed that three American service members were killed and five others seriously wounded in the conflict, marking the first known American fatalities tied to the current hostilities. Several additional personnel suffered minor injuries and concussions.
In Israel, explosions were heard in Tel Aviv as missile impacts or air defense interceptions lit the sky. Israeli rescue services said nine people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the nationwide death toll to 11. Authorities said 11 individuals remained missing as rescue crews searched through debris.
The U.S. military said B-2 stealth bombers targeted Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump later stated on social media that nine Iranian warships had been “destroyed” and sunk and that Iran’s naval headquarters had been “largely destroyed.”
Iran vowed revenge for the killing of its supreme leader and other officials. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised address, “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”
Trump issued a warning against further retaliation, writing in a social media post: “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT. IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
In Tehran, streets were largely empty as residents sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. The paramilitary Basij reportedly set up checkpoints across the city.
In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed when a girls’ school was struck, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in that area, and the U.S. military said it was reviewing the reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced in a prerecorded message that a new leadership council had begun operating following Khamenei’s death. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader could be selected within “one or two days.”
The New York Times reported that the CIA had tracked the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, for months prior to the strike. A person familiar with the operation, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly, said intelligence was shared with Israeli officials and influenced the timing of the attack.
Trump told The Atlantic that he intends to speak with Iran’s new leadership. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he said, declining to specify when the discussions would occur.
In northern Iran, a medical professional speaking anonymously said some residents celebrated Khamenei’s death indoors due to heavy security deployments. “It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message from Rasht. “In fact, it was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very very nice time. We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”
The conflict has expanded beyond Iran and Israel. Iranian strikes targeted U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and also hit non-military locations including a hotel in Dubai and Kuwait’s international airport. At least four people were killed in strikes across Gulf countries.
Araghchi said he had spoken with counterparts in Gulf nations and urged them to press the United States and Israel to end the fighting.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would maintain “a nonstop air train” of strikes against Iranian military and leadership targets.
Air travel across the Middle East has been disrupted as air defense systems engaged incoming threats over several cities, including Dubai. Analysts have warned that any move by Iran to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a corridor carrying roughly 20 percent of the world’s traded oil — could have significant effects on global markets.
Tensions had been building in recent weeks as the United States increased its military presence in the region. While Trump has said he sought an agreement to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, intelligence officials indicated that Iran had been rebuilding infrastructure and developing advanced centrifuge capabilities. Iran has said it has not enriched uranium since June but maintains its right to do so and has restricted international inspectors from visiting certain sites. Satellite imagery reviewed by The Associated Press showed renewed activity at two previously targeted facilities.
As missile exchanges continue, regional leaders are assessing the possibility of a prolonged conflict with wider implications for stability across the Middle East.