US-Israeli Strikes Kill Iran's Supreme Leader
The United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and striking targets across the country in what the Pentagon designated "Operation Epic Fury." The unprecedented assault marks the most significant direct military confrontation between the US and Iran in decades, reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East overnight. Iran confirmed Khamenei's death and announced 40 days of national mourning. The 86-year-old cleric, who had led the Islamic Republic since 1989, was killed when strikes hit his compound in Tehran. Israeli military officials said several senior Iranian officials and military commanders were also killed in the operation. The Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 201 people killed across the country. The operation drew immediate retaliation from Iran, which launched missile and drone strikes against Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. At least eight people were killed in a missile strike in Beit Shemesh, a city near Jerusalem. US Central Command confirmed Sunday that three American service members were killed and five seriously wounded during the operation, underscoring the human cost on all sides of the escalation.