(AP) — The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, and U.S. President Donald Trump called on the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” by rising up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.
Trump, Israel and Iran have confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, saying his passing is “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” There was no immediate comment from Iran on his status.
Earlier, Iran had retaliated to the U.S. and Israeli attacks by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.
Some of the first strikes on Iran appeared to hit areas around the offices of Khamenei. Smoke could be seen rising from the capital as part of strikes that Iranian media said occurred nationwide. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old leader was in his offices when the attack occurred.
Trump says that Iran’s supreme leader is dead
U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, saying his passing is “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”
The death occurred after a joint U.S. and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites.
Trump in his post called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history.”
Trump said that Khamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.”
Asked who might now become Iran’s new supreme leader, Trump joked, “I don’t know. But at some point they’ll be calling me to ask who I’d like” before noting he was being “only being a little sarcastic” in suggesting that.
Trump also explained that the bombing of Iran would continue through the week, or longer.
“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” Trump said.
Iranian official says Israel and US will ‘regret their actions’
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, said Saturday that Israel and America will “regret their actions.”
“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors,” Larijani posted on X.
Iranian state media announces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, is dead, Iranian state media reported.
State television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported his death, without elaborating on a cause of death.
U.S. President Donald Trump had said he’d been killed in a joint American-Israeli operation targeting Iran.
UN chief calls for end to hostilities, return to US-Iran talks
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that “everything must be done to prevent a further escalation.”
“The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”
Guterres reiterated his earlier condemnation of the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes for violating Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and international law, including the U.N. Charter – and he also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Shrapnel from Iranian missile attack injures man in Tel Aviv area
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service says rocket shrapnel from the latest Iranian missile attack has seriously injured a man in the Tel Aviv area. It marks the first serious injury to be reported in Israel since the exchange of missiles began. Magen David Adom says it has also treated 90 casualties, all in mild condition.
No one has been killed in Israel.
Israel’s U.N. ambassador calls condemnation of airstrikes ‘hypocrisy’
Danny Danon told reporters ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Iran is responsible for escalating actions by its proxies and its nuclear and missile programs, and “now Israel and the U.S. act to prevent an irreversible and immediate threat.”
He did not respond to a question asking whether he could confirm the death of Iran’s supreme leader. But he said: “We will continue to target the leadership of the radical regime and we will do whatever necessary to enable the right conditions for the people of Iran and stability for the region.”
How long will it take? “As long as it will take to achieve the goals,” Danon replied.
Everyone is watching the situation on the ground, he said, and “the time for the Iranian people to take control of the future is very soon.
Iran’s defense minister and Revolutionary Guard commander killed, says Israel
Israel’s military has named some of the top members of Iran’s leadership it says were killed in its first round of Saturday strikes on Iran. Neither Iran nor the U.S. commented on or confirmed the claims.
Israel said the strikes killed Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
The military also said its strikes took out Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Iranian Security Council and a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Mohammad Shirazi, the head of Khamenei’s military bureau.
Khamenei is dead, Israeli officials tell AP
Israeli officials told The Associated Press Saturday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. or Iran on his status.
The assassination of the second leader of the Islamic Republic, who had no designated successor, would throw its future into doubt.
In a nationally televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed when Israel struck his compound early Saturday.
Shortly after the address, two Israeli officials said Israel had confirmed his death. The officials both spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement and gave no further details.
Iraqi group claims drone attack on U.S. base in Irbil
A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq-Brigades of the Guardians of Blood in a statement claimed that it launched a drone attack on a U.S. base in Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.
Earlier Saturday, a number of missiles and drones were intercepted over Irbil.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that has previously launched attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.
Iran’s conventional missile capability was an ‘intolerable’ risk, says US official
A senior Trump administration official says Iran’s conventional missile capability presented an “intolerable” risk to the U.S., and that that reality has since been demonstrated by Tehran’s strikes around the region after the U.S.-Israeli attack.
On a call with reporters, the official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had briefed top leaders in Congress. Rubio made it clear then that Iran was ready to use conventional missiles against U.S. forces in the Middle East, the official said.
The official — who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details about Trump’s decision-making process that have not been publicly disclosed — added that Iran’s unwillingness to discuss ballistic missiles in previous negotiations left Trump no option but to proceed militarily.
Separately, Trump administration officials said on a phone call with reporters that they offered Iran many ways to have a peaceful nuclear program that could be used for civilian purposes.
But the officials said it was clear to them that Iran wanted enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. The Trump administration officials said that Iran met their offers with “games, tricks, stall tactics.”
The officials requested anonymity to describe the rationale behind the joint military strikes on Iranian targets by the U.S. and Israel.
Pro-Iran protests in Baghdad
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Baghdad in support of Iran and against the attacks launched by Israel and the U.S.
Demonstrators carried posters of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the high Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Demonstrators clashed with anti-riot police several times in the demonstration that was held near the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital.
US posts aerial footage showing strikes on variety of targets
Aerial footage posted to social media by U.S. Central Command showed U.S. munitions striking what appeared to be a variety of targets from drones to buildings.
The video montage was released Saturday afternoon. It showed black and white aerial footage of what appeared to be a drone on a runway, a radar tower, a missile battery, and a compound of buildings. They were all being struck by what seemed to be bombs or missiles and followed by large explosions.
The footage features the words “unclassified” at the top of the screen and a targeting reticle in the middle.
U.S. Central Command did not provide more details about the video.
EU foreign ministers to hold virtual meeting on Sunday
European Union foreign ministers will meet virtually on Sunday to discuss the unfurling conflict in the Middle East, the bloc’s top diplomat said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a social media post that she would hold a meet of the Foreign Affairs Council to work toward a de-escalation.
“It is essential that the war does not spread any further. The Iranian regime has choices to make,” Kallas said. “The Iranian regime’s indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors carry the risk of dragging the region into a broader war and we condemn this.”
Trump speaks to regional leaders and NATO chief
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on the social media site X that President Donald Trump “has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte” after the strikes on Iran.
The president has yet to detail the strikes and the urgency behind them to the broader public.
Israel closes all crossings into Gaza
The Israeli agency responsible for administering aid to Gaza said it has closed all crossings into the territory, preventing the entry of materials and aid workers.
In a post on X, COGAT said there is sufficient stockpiles of food in Gaza to get Palestinians there through an extended period, without providing evidence.
The agency said the crossings were closed for security reasons owing to the current missile exchange with Iran.
Religious sites in Jerusalem’s Old City close
Israel’s police said the Dome of the Rock compound will be closed for Ramadan due to concerns over missile strikes with Iran.
All religious sites in Jerusalem’s Old City are closed, according to police.
The Israeli military has raised the alert level across the country and canceled all gatherings in public spaces. Schools and many workplaces are also closed.
Vance monitored strikes on Iran from White House
Vice President JD Vance monitored the strikes on Iran from the Situation Room at the White House and dialed into a conference line with President Donald Trump and his team at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night into Saturday morning, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Vance was joined by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the person said.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, was at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, a second person familiar with the situation said.
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The Pentagon did not answer questions about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s whereabouts for the strike.
US targeted Revolutionary Guard command facilities, other sites
U.S. forces striking Iran focused on locations “that posed an imminent threat” including “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement Saturday.
The strikes, which began shortly before 10 a.m. in Tehran, included “precision munitions launched from air, land, and sea” and U.S. Central Command said that they also employed low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat.
According to the military command, the operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” is the “largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation.”
US military reports no American casualties so far
About 12 hours after the attacks began, the U.S. military reported no U.S. casualties and minimal damage at U.S. bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.” It said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.
Iran state TV reports more than 200 people killed
Iran’s Red Crescent says Israeli-U.S. airstrikes across Iran have killed 201 people and injured 747, according to comments on Iranian state TV.
The spokesperson for the Red Crescent said the strikes have hit 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The spokesperson said relief operations are ongoing, and that 220 teams were deployed to different sites to respond to the strikes.
Leader of Houthi rebels in Yemen vows solidarity with Iran
The leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen says they’re ready for “any necessary development” following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s counter attacks against Israel and U.S. interests in the region.
In a pre-recorded speech, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the rebels “will take action in various activities” in solidarity with Iran. He didn’t elaborate further details.
“The Islamic Republic is waging the battle of the entire Islamic nation against American-Israeli-Zionist tyranny,” he said.
Israeli says some 200 fighter jets took part in initial attack
The Israeli military says some 200 fighter jets participated in the initial attack on Iran, striking some 500 targets that included air defenses and missile launchers.
It says it was the largest “military flyover” in the Israeli air force’s history.
Explosions heard in Tehran near Intelligence Ministry
Witnesses living near the Intelligence Ministry building in Tehran tell The Associated Press that several explosions were heard in the vicinity of the facility. There has been no official statement on the incident in Iranian media so far. Witnesses also reported that air defense systems had begun operating in the area.
Oil price swings expected next week
Oil markets currently closed for the weekend are set to see price swings next week as the impact from the U.S. and Israeli strikes on oil supplies from the Middle East remains unclear.
Scenarios before the latest conflict with Iran foresaw a quick price spike that fades if the attacks didn’t affect oil shipping and infrastructure such as Iranian pipelines and its Kharg island terminal.
However, there would be a bigger price spike and longer-lasting impact if oil infrastructure or supplies were interrupted, for instance because of disruption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
UK calls on Iran to ‘end this now’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that while the U.K. didn’t participate in the attack on Iran, its planes provided air defense for its people and allies in the region.
“We’ve stepped up protections from British bases and personnel to their highest level,” Starmer said.
The Iranian leadership is “utterly abhorrent,” has killed its own people and destabilized the region and should never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, Starmer said.
“Iran can end this now,” he said. “They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons program and cease the appalling violence and repression against the Iranian people.”
Mideast governments condemn Iran
Across the Middle East, governments moved quickly to condemn Iran’s strikes on Arab neighbors, while staying silent on earlier Israeli and U.S. attacks. Countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Israel — including Morocco, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates — denounced Iranian strikes targeting U.S. military bases including in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the Emirates.
The 22-nation Arab League — which has historically condemned both Israel and Iran for actions it says risk destabilizing the region — called the attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate for peace and strive for stability.”
Saudi Arabia said it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian aggression and the blatant violation of sovereignty.”
The responses broadly mirrored Western reactions, while setting Middle Eastern powers apart from China and Russia’s quick condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli action.
Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel
Israel’s military say that that “dozens” of missiles have been fired by Iran at Israel. While many have been intercepted and no serious injuries have been reported, the missile barrages were continuing after sundown Saturday. Israel’s military chief gave an address on national TV warning that the defenses are not “hermetic” and the public should obey safety instructions and remain vigilant.
Iran calls for ‘immediate action’ from U.N.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has written to the U.N. Security Council calling for the 15-member body to “take immediate action in response to this breach of international peace and security.”
The council, which is currently under the presidency of the United Kingdom until midnight Saturday, is expected to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday.
Araghchi reiterated that Iran will continue to retaliate by all means necessary and that “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile forces in the region shall be regarded as legitimate military objectives.”
EU to hold emergency security meeting on Monday
The European Union will hold an emergency security meeting on Monday over the conflict in the Middle East, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“For regional security and stability, it is of the utmost importance that there is no further escalation through Iran’s unjustified attacks on partners in the region,” she said on a Saturday in a social media post.
Egyptian leader speaks with Saudi crown prince
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has spoken by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
El-Sissi expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to “contain the escalation” in the region.
“Continued military escalation will only bring more suffering to the people of the region and undermine development opportunities,” el-Sissi said.
Leading Democrat denounces US strikes on Iran
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia has questioned whether President Donald Trump has learned anything “from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East.”
“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war — especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective,” Kaine said in a statement.
“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” he said.
He called for the U.S. Senate to “immediately return” to the Capitol and vote on whether to authorize or limit strikes on Iran.
U.N. Security Council to hold emergency meeting
The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Israel’s U.N. Mission says the meeting will take place at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) at the request of Bahrain and France.
Israel’s U.N. ambassador Danny Danon said Israel “is strong, united and determined to defend its citizens against any existential threat.” Danon also said that “Israel will never allow an Iranian nuclear state.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the strikes on Iran and the Islamic Republic’s retaliation.
“The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security,” Guterres said in a statement. He also called for an immediate ceasefire and for all parties to return to the negotiating table.
Egypt consults with several countries
Egypt’s top diplomat has discussed the military escalation in the Middle East with his counterparts in several regional and European countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany and France.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned that the escalation in Iran will have “dire repercussions” on Mideast security and stability. In a statement, he called for prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to avert a “comprehensive confrontation” in the region.
US Congress was notified before strike, source says
Congress was notified before the strikes on Iran, as required by law.
The notifications mentioned ballistic missiles, but didn’t indicate that the strikes would be so expansive or the goals so broad, according to a person familiar with the notifications who requested anonymity to discuss them.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out personally to some top lawmakers.
Saudi Arabia says it repelled attack by Iran
Saudi Arabia said Iran targeted its capital and its eastern region in an attack.
The government reported the attack in an announcement on its state-run Saudi Press Agency. It called the attack “blatant and cowardly” and said it was repelled.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are longstanding rivals, but the country reached a Chinese-mediated detente with Iran in 2023.
US is entering ‘war of choice,’ lawmaker says
One of the senior U.S. lawmakers recently briefed by Trump administration officials on Iran says that the United States is entering a “war of choice.”
“Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,” said Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
He also expressed his concerns to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly that military action in the region “almost never ends well for the United States.”
“It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history,” Himes said.
China calls for halt to military actions
China’s government said it is “highly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and called for an immediate halt to the military actions and a return to negotiations.
“Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.
Ukraine’s president supports US-led strikes
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced support for US-led strikes on Iran, calling the country “an accomplice of Putin” for supplying Shahed drones and the technology for Moscow to produce them and other weapons in its four-year war against Ukraine.
“Over the course of this full-scale war, Russia has used more than 57,000 Shahed-type attack drones against the Ukrainian people, cities, and energy infrastructure. Other nations have also suffered from Iranian-backed terror. Therefore, it is fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime and to guarantee security for all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
The Ukrainian leader said the emphasis now should be to save as many lives as possible and prevent any expansion of the war.
“It is important that the United States is acting decisively. Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken. This understanding must also come to the Russians,” Zelenskyy said.
