U.S. and Israeli strike on Iran follows recent talks by two days, amid theocracy’s battle with widespread protests

In a large-scale operation, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with Tehran announcing hours later that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead. President Donald Trump, announcing the attack, called on Iranians to seize the opportunity and “take over.”

Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported Khamenei’s death, providing no further details.

In retaliation, Iran launched drones and missiles against Israel and targeted U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The exchange of fire persisted into early Sunday.

Citing the Red Crescent, Iranian state media reported on Saturday evening that at least 201 people were killed and over 700 wounded. Ali Larijani, a member of Iran’s National Security Council, stated that Israel and America would “regret their actions.”

The military action occurred just two days after the most recent U.S.-Iran negotiations, during which Trump pressured Tehran for an agreement to limit its nuclear program while amassing a naval fleet in the region. Iran’s clerical government was also contending with widespread protests that originated over economic issues but evolved into anti-government demonstrations.

The U.S. military stated it was investigating reports of civilian casualties in Iran from Saturday’s strikes. A local governor told Iranian state TV that at least 115 people were killed and dozens wounded at a girls’ school in the south of the country.

World leaders condemned the attacks, and the United Nations Security Council convened for an urgent meeting.

Supreme leader’s compound was one of the first targets

Israel stated it had collaborated with the U.S. for months to plan the assaults. The U.S. military said targets in Iran encompassed Revolutionary Guard command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone launch locations, and military airfields.

Among the initial strikes was one near the offices of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who had held ultimate power since 1989.

Israel reported that it killed the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the defense minister.

The U.S. and Israel also attacked Iran last June during previous nuclear talks, significantly degrading Iran’s air defenses, military leadership, and nuclear program.

The Trump administration has claimed that Iran has been reconstituting its nuclear program, which Tehran maintains is for peaceful purposes.

Iran strikes back at Israel and U.S. bases

Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel and conducted strikes aimed at U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.

The U.S. military reported no American casualties and only minor damage to U.S. bases despite what it described as “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.”

Israel’s military said Iran launched “dozens” of missiles toward Israel, many of which were intercepted. The emergency service Magen David Adom reported that a woman in the Tel Aviv area died from wounds sustained in an Iranian missile strike.

Saudi Arabia stated that Iran targeted its capital and eastern region in an assault that was thwarted. Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said one person was killed and seven injured in a drone attack. Bahrain reported that a missile strike targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, damaging three buildings in the capital, Manama, and Muharraq city.

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said a drone targeted the main international airport, injuring several employees. Kuwait’s state news agency reported three soldiers were wounded by shrapnel from strikes on Ali Al-Salem air base. Explosions were audible in Qatar. Jordan stated it “dealt with” 49 drones and ballistic missiles.

According to two senior Houthi officials speaking anonymously due to a lack of official announcement, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have pledged to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes and on Israel.

Trump tells Iranians it’s time to topple their government

Announcing the “major combat operations,” Trump suggested the U.S. was attacking for reasons extending beyond Iran’s nuclear program. On Friday, he expressed frustration over stalled negotiations to halt Iran’s nuclear weapons development.

He enumerated grievances dating back to the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic Republic, transforming Iran from a key U.S. ally in the Middle East into an adversary. Other reasons included Iran’s ballistic missile program and its backing of armed proxy groups in the region.

On Saturday, Trump advised Iranians to take shelter but subsequently encouraged them to rise up and overthrow their Islamic leadership.

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump said. “It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

U.S. military has been building up in the region

Trump later stated that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” in Iran would continue for a week or more.

The U.S. had gathered a substantial fleet of fighter aircraft and warships in the region while negotiating with Iran over its nuclear activities.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in January to reinforce naval presence. The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with four destroyers, was later sent from the Caribbean toward the Middle East and is currently in the Mediterranean.

This fleet deployment has brought more than 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the area.

Fighting disrupts commercial air travel

The conflict severely disrupted air travel across the region, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers were stranded or rerouted after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain shut their airspace. Flight tracking site FlightRadar24 reported no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates after its government declared a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace.

The strikes also threaten to unsettle global markets, especially if Iran renders the Strait of Hormuz hazardous for commercial shipping. One-third of the world’s oil transported by sea passed through the strait in 2025.

___

Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed.