Published

Iran28 February, 20263 min read

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

U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes across Iran targeting leadership and military infrastructure. Trump and Israeli officials claimed Khamenei was killed; Iranian sources both denied and confirmed.

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US and Israel Strike Iran; Iranian Media Claim Supreme Leader Khamenei Dead, Minister Says Alive
Image: ایران اینترنشنال
Compared

97 outlets told this the same way.

Iran air campaign

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

“U.S. intelligence concluded Iran had rebuilt parts of its nuclear program, including advanced centrifuge capacity. After nuclear talks collapsed, a U.S.-coordinated campaign preceded large Israeli airstrikes across Iran; Israel said its air force hit ‘hundreds of targets’ — military, intelligence and symbolic sites.”
AP News

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.

Image from ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Image: ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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Khamenei status claims

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.

Image from ABC7 New York
Image: 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.

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Reports of civilian casualties

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. 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.

“Heavy US‑Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, which Iranian media citing the Red Crescent said hit 24 provinces, killed at least 201 people — including at least 108 pupils at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab and others at a school east of Tehran.”
Al Jazeera

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.

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Regional military retaliation

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.

Image from Al Jazeera
Image: Al Jazeera

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

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Political fallout and reactions

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.

“At a UN Security Council emergency meeting, Secretary‑General António Guterres called for de‑escalation and an immediate end to hostilities; Iran’s UN ambassador called the attacks unprovoked war crimes while the US ambassador defended them as lawful.”
Al Jazeera

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

Image from Al Jazeera
Image: 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.

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