United States Kills Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Operation Epic Fury

A joint U.S.–Israeli aerial campaign struck military and government sites across Iran.

“Fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran intensified for a third straight day as American forces continued sweeping strikes inside Iran and Tehran retaliated across the region”

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Pentagon statements described the campaign as Operation Epic Fury, and some outlets reported it as Scorpion Strike or part of a larger joint campaign.

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Iranian confirmation cited in multiple reports said the strikes led to the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

U.S. and Israeli officials were reported to have taken part in the strikes.

Outlets described the attack as the opening of large-scale hostilities between Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran.

Reporting and official statements place the campaign's scope at well over a thousand targets and describe heavy use of air, sea, land and long-range systems.

CENTCOM and U.S. military summaries were cited as saying more than 1,000–1,250 targets were hit.

Al Jazeera

Iranian agencies and relief groups report very high civilian death tolls.

Iran's Red Crescent publicly reported scores to hundreds of deaths across many locations inside Iran.

The strikes quickly broadened into a regional conflagration as Iran and allied militias launched reprisals and state and proxy actors in Lebanon and the Gulf opened new fronts.

“What happens in Iran doesn’t stay in Iran”

Atlantic Council

Hezbollah acknowledged missile salvos it said were retaliation for Khamenei’s death.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon were reported.

Iranian missile and drone barrages against Israel, U.S. positions and Gulf states were reported.

There were civilian casualties and damage in Lebanon, Israel and several Gulf countries.

U.S. officials and media reported American combat and non-combat casualties during the campaign.

President Donald Trump publicly framed the operation as open-ended and warned of continued strikes.

BNN Bloomberg

Multiple outlets cited Pentagon and CENTCOM counts of U.S. service-member deaths, with some military statements reporting the number as six.

Outlets also reported President Donald Trump saying bombing would continue 'as long as necessary' and urging Iranians to rise up against their government.

The offensive produced immediate geopolitical, humanitarian and economic effects and prompted diplomatic debate.

“By The Associated Press As the war in the Middle East spirals further, U”

Boston Herald

Energy markets moved sharply, and some national institutions flagged broader disruptions.

Boston Herald

International actors urged restraint or diplomacy.

Reports cited rising oil prices and uncertainty about Iran’s national football team’s World Cup participation.

Foreign governments and organizations called for diplomatic solutions even as Iranian officials said they would not negotiate with the United States.