US-Israel Strikes Kill Iran's Supreme Leader

The United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other senior Iranian officials. The attacks began at approximately 1:30 AM local time, targeting military and governmental sites across Tehran and other major cities.

President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, stating that Khamenei was killed in the strikes. 'Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,' Trump wrote. He described the operation as a joint effort with Israel to eliminate what he called an imminent threat from Iran.

The attacks marked a significant escalation in tensions between the US and Iran, which had been engaged in nuclear talks just days before. The strikes targeted key facilities, including Khamenei's compound where several senior leaders were reportedly gathered. Satellite images showed extensive damage to the compound and other locations across Tehran.

In response, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli sites and US bases throughout the Middle East. At least 201 people were killed in the Iranian attacks, including civilians at a girls' school in Minab. The BBC verified clips of the aftermath of the explosion at the school, which is located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base.

A preliminary military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February that killed scores of children. The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the US military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part.

Officials emphasized that the findings are preliminary and that there are important unanswered questions about why outdated information had not been double-checked. Striking a school full of children is sure to be recorded as one of the most devastating single military errors in recent decades. Iranian officials have said the death toll was at least 175 people, most of them children.

While the overall finding was largely expected — the United States is the only country involved in the conflict that uses Tomahawk missiles — it has already cast a shadow on the US military operation in Iran. President Donald Trump's attempts to sidestep the blame for the strike have also complicated the inquiry, leaving officials who have reviewed the findings showing US culpability expressing unease.

Global leaders have condemned the escalation, with the UN Secretary-General and leaders from Brazil to China expressing concern over the attacks. A joint statement by the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany urged Iran to refrain from further strikes and give up its weapons programs. The UN Security Council met to discuss the strikes on Saturday evening.

The US has deployed additional warships, aircraft, and air defenses to the Middle East in what analysts describe as the largest U.S. buildup there since the Iraq war in 2003. The situation remains tense, with the potential for further escalation.