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ISRAEL and Iran launched fresh attacks on one another on Sunday, intensifying a rapidly expanding conflict triggered by the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and sending shockwaves through global energy markets and transport networks.
Israeli aircraft carried out a new wave of strikes on Tehran, targeting intelligence, security and military command centres, with the Israeli military later claiming it had established aerial superiority over the Iranian capital.
Reuters reported on Monday that Iran responded with renewed missile barrages across the region, including attacks it said struck US and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The escalation has forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor for roughly a fifth of global oil supplies, while airports across the Gulf — including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub — have suspended operations amid continued bombardment.
Shipping data showed hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers, dropping anchor as traders braced for sharp rises in crude prices.
US President Donald Trump said the campaign aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, curb its missile programme and eliminate threats to the United States and its allies.
US Central Command said more than 1,000 Iranian targets had been hit since the start of operations.
In a pre-recorded video statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump vowed military strikes would continue until “all our objectives are achieved”.
He said the assault had wiped out Iran’s military command and destroyed nine Iranian naval vessels and a naval facility.
The President called on Iranian security forces to surrender, promising immunity to those who lay down their arms and threatening “certain death” for those who resist.
He reiterated appeals for public unrest, saying: “I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country. America is with you.”
In an interview with The Atlantic, Trump said Iran’s leadership had sought talks and that he had agreed. In separate remarks to the Daily Mail, he indicated the campaign could continue for another four weeks.
The first confirmed US casualties of the operation, including three service personnel, were announced on Sunday. Paying tribute, Trump described them as “true American patriots” but warned further losses were likely. “That’s the way it is,” he said.
Domestic support for the strikes appears limited.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found only around one in four Americans approve of the operation, raising political stakes for Trump ahead of midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
Within Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that a temporary leadership council comprising himself, the head of the judiciary and a member of the Guardian Council had assumed the duties of Supreme Leader, signalling an extraordinary transfer of authority amid internal unrest and external assault.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, indicated through Oman that Tehran was open to de-escalation, yet struck a defiant tone publicly, writing on X: “We’ve had two decades to study defeats of the U.S. military to our immediate east and west. Bombings in our capital have no impact on our ability to conduct war.”
The conflict risks widening further.
The Israeli military said it intercepted projectiles launched from Lebanon early on Monday, potentially signalling involvement by Hezbollah, long one of Tehran’s principal regional allies. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024.
Casualties were reported on multiple fronts. Israel’s ambulance service said nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh. The United Arab Emirates reported three deaths from Iranian attacks, while Kuwait confirmed one fatality.
Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989 following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, was said by state media to have been in his office at the time of Saturday’s strike.
The attack reportedly also killed members of his family, including his daughter and grandchild.
While his death marks a profound moment for the Islamic Republic, analysts cautioned that it may not immediately dismantle Iran’s entrenched clerical system or diminish the influence of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, even as the country confronts its most severe crisis since the 1980–88 war with Iraq. - March 2, 2026
