United States and Israeli forces carried out large-scale air strikes against hundreds of targets in Iran on Sunday, while the Israeli military launched extensive attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah, signalling a widening of the conflict across the Middle East.
The escalation follows the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday and the first confirmed US military casualties since the confrontation with Tehran intensified.
Strikes across Iran and Lebanon
Israel’s military said it continued for a third consecutive day to conduct “large-scale” strikes against what it described as the Iranian regime in Tehran. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported explosions in parts of the capital.
The Israeli army later announced strikes against Hezbollah targets “from one end of Lebanon to the other”, following rocket fire from Lebanese territory into northern Israel.
The US Central Command stated that more than 1,000 targets were struck during the first 24 hours of operations in Iran. The Pentagon said it had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The Israeli military said it had dealt a severe blow to Iran’s military command structure.
CENTCOM confirmed that three US service members were killed and five others seriously injured during the operation.
Retaliation by Tehran
In response to Saturday’s attack, in which senior Iranian officials were killed, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes against neighbouring states, targeting primarily US bases and Israel.
Israeli emergency services reported that nine people were killed in Israel on Sunday. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian described retaliation as a legitimate right, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would place “no limit” on its right to defend itself.
Iranian state television confirmed that, in addition to Ayatollah Khamenei, several senior officials were killed, including Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpour, senior adviser Ali Shamkhani and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi.
US and allied responses
President Donald Trump said the United States would avenge the deaths of the three American soldiers and reiterated his call for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to lay down their arms, offering immunity in exchange for surrender. He also stated that US military operations could last “four or five weeks”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was mobilising “all its strength” in the conflict. President Trump claimed that 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and nine naval vessels sunk, without providing further details.
Leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom said they were prepared to take necessary and proportionate defensive measures in response to Iranian actions.
Regional spillover
Hostilities have extended beyond Iran and Israel. In Iraq, clashes broke out between protesters and police near the US embassy in Baghdad.
Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted 13 Iranian ballistic missiles since Saturday.
In Pakistan, at least 17 people were killed in demonstrations in Karachi following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, most during attempts to seize a US diplomatic facility.
Thousands gathered in Tehran to mourn, chanting slogans against the United States and Israel.
Source: CNA / AFP