US and Israel Strike Iran; Iranian Media Claim Supreme Leader Khamenei Dead, Minister Says Alive

A large, coordinated air campaign struck multiple sites across Iran in an operation described in many reports as a U.S.–Israeli campaign that targeted Revolutionary Guard command centers, air defenses, missile and drone launch sites, military airfields, and intelligence and government sites.

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ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

U.S. and Israeli officials said the strikes were intended to disable Iranian military and nuclear-related capabilities.

ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Some outlets reported that Israel's air force hit "hundreds of targets" and described an operation planned with Washington to blunt what they characterized as an imminent or intolerable threat.

Accounts vary on the operation’s scale and name, with some outlets referencing a code name used by U.S. commentators.

Independent verification of all claimed targets remained limited in the immediate aftermath.

Early, high-profile claims circulated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the opening strikes.

Some U.S. and Israeli figures publicly asserted his death, and those assertions were echoed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and by some Israeli officials.

ABC7 New York

Iranian authorities and several other outlets denied or questioned those reports, releasing statements and posts asserting Khamenei was alive or that reports of his death were psychological warfare.

International media emphasized that the status of Khamenei and several named senior figures remained disputed and unverified by independent observers, producing intense uncertainty about Iran’s leadership and succession arrangements.

Iranian state media and emergency services reported heavy civilian casualties and damage across many provinces, with some outlets and local officials citing hundreds dead and many hundreds injured.

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ABC7 San Francisco

Several reports — notably from state-linked agencies and the Red Crescent — said strikes hit schools, including claims that a girls’ primary school in Minab suffered very high child casualties.

Western outlets and analysts repeatedly cautioned that casualty figures and specific incident details were difficult to independently verify amid communications disruptions and widespread confusion.

Some initially reported local figures were later corrected or clarified.

In immediate military terms the strikes triggered swift Iranian retaliation: Tehran launched waves of ballistic missiles and attack drones that officials said were aimed at Israel and U.S. forces and bases across the Gulf, and several Gulf states reported intercepting incoming weapons or experiencing damage from debris.

U.S. Central Command and regional militaries reported many incoming projectiles were intercepted and initially said there were no U.S. combat casualties, while Gulf states and the UAE reported some deaths and infrastructure damage from intercepted or falling debris.

Al Jazeera

The exchanges disrupted regional air traffic, prompted temporary airspace closures and elevated naval and base readiness across the region.

The international and domestic political fallout was immediate and polarized: world leaders and institutions called for de-escalation while reactions ranged from vocal support to condemnation.

“An international nuclear watchdog (IAEA) reported it found no evidence Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon”

Al Jazeera

The U.N. secretary-general and the U.N. Security Council urged restraint and convened emergency meetings.

Al Jazeera

Some Western leaders warned against broader escalation and questioned legal and congressional authorization for the strikes.

U.S. domestic politics saw sharp debate over presidential authority and continued calls for briefings and potential War Powers votes.

Observers stressed that many central claims, especially about leadership deaths and some casualty counts, remained unverified and that the fluid, contested information environment increased the risk of miscalculation.