A joint military operation by the United States and Israel has resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump announced Saturday. The strike, which targeted a gathering of top Iranian leaders in Tehran, has triggered retaliatory attacks from Iran and raised fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
The operation, initially planned for nighttime, was altered after intelligence revealed a rare opportunity: a meeting of Iran’s highest-ranking military officials, including Khamenei, at a central Tehran location, according to reports from The Recent York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Israeli forces reportedly dropped 30 bombs on the complex housing the offices of the Iranian President, the Supreme Leader, and the National Security Council. The development underscores growing regional instability and the potential for escalation.
Those confirmed killed in the strike, according to Iranian state television, include:
- Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader
- Ali Shamkhani, Chairman of the National Defense Council
- Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Asis Naserzadeh, Defense Minister
- Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff
“Everyone was waiting for an attack around midnight, when the darkness provides cover,” Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, told The Wall Street Journal. He added that the daylight attack was “a tactical surprise,” contrasting with a similar Israeli strike against Iran last July which occurred at night.
Close cooperation between the CIA and Israeli intelligence
The attack followed months of close collaboration between the CIA and Israeli intelligence agencies, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported. Both countries had gathered extensive information on Iranian leadership, particularly Khamenei, during and after a twelve-day conflict with Iran last year. A former U.S. Government official told The New York Times that the U.S. Had gained insight into how Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard communicated and operated under pressure.
The strike itself required a relatively small number of aircraft equipped with long-range, high-precision weapons, according to The New York Times. Two hours and five minutes after the Israeli jets took off, around 9:40 AM in Tehran, the long-range missiles struck the compound.
Further attacks reportedly targeted locations believed to be frequented by leaders of Iranian intelligence. While the top intelligence chief reportedly escaped, insiders said the intelligence leadership had been severely damaged.
Israel and the U.S. Had been preparing the operation for months, The Wall Street Journal reported. Israeli military leadership repeatedly traveled to Washington to plan the offensive, including the top general, the Air Force chief, the head of military intelligence, and the director of the Mossad. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Mar-a-Lago in December and in Washington in early February to coordinate their actions.
Negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program were ongoing in parallel. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, informed the President on Thursday that talks had stalled: Tehran was unwilling to halt its uranium enrichment or abandon its missile program.
Trump stated the operation was intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, adding, “We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated.” He also called on Iranian forces to lay down their arms in exchange for “complete immunity,” and urged the Iranian people to overthrow their government. The large-scale military operation, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S., followed weeks of threats from Trump regarding military action if Iran did not agree to a new nuclear deal.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. Assets and allies across the region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. On Sunday, Israel reported launching fresh attacks on “the heart of Tehran” as Iranian attacks continued. The situation remains fluid, and the potential for further escalation is high.
