Donald Trump warns Iran of unprecedented retaliation after US-Israel strikes kill Khamenei. Iran launches missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, escalating Middle East tensions.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israel strikes, US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued some of the harshest warnings in recent American history to Tehran.
Trump took to Truth Social in all‑caps defiance, saying Iran was threatening to “hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before.” He added: “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
The message came as tensions surged following confirmation from Iranian state television that Khamenei had been killed in joint US‑Israeli strikes.
Related Articles
Iran launches new wave of missile and drone attacks
Tehran responded swiftly. Iranian state television reported that Iran launched a new wave of strikes targeting US military bases across the region and Israeli military sites.
According to Iranian media, 27 American bases in the region were among the targets, along with Israel’s military headquarters and a defence industries complex in Tel Aviv.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the retaliation would intensify following Khamenei’s death, warning of what they described as the “most ferocious” operation against the United States and Israel.
The escalation follows earlier attacks in which missiles and drones were fired toward Israel and US assets in the Gulf.
Israel says “justice has been served”
Israel’s defence leadership publicly welcomed the development, describing it as a decisive blow to Iran’s leadership structure.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation eliminated the Iranian leader and other senior figures.
“Khamenei was eliminated... along with senior members of the Iranian fortress of terror,” Katz said in a statement shared on social media. “Justice has been served, and the Axis of evil has taken a severe beating.”
The strikes were part of a large operation carried out jointly by the United States and Israel. Israeli authorities said around 200 fighter jets took part in the campaign, hitting more than 500 targets linked to Iranian military infrastructure and leadership meetings in Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the operation may continue and that many more targets could still be struck in the coming days.
Mourning declared in Iran as leadership transitions
Iranian state television confirmed the death of Khamenei early Sunday, broadcasting archive footage accompanied by a black banner and announcing a nationwide mourning period.
Authorities declared 40 days of mourning and seven public holidays.
Iranian media also reported that members of Khamenei’s family — including his daughter, son‑in‑law and granddaughter — were killed in the strikes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to help lead the country during a transitional period alongside other senior officials.
Meanwhile, the Iranian judiciary said that two key figures were also killed in the attack: Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour and senior security adviser Ali Shamkhani.
Explosions across the Gulf and rising global alarm
The confrontation has already rippled across the wider region.
Explosions were reported in several Gulf cities, including Riyadh, Manama, and Doha, while the United Arab Emirates reported casualties after missile and drone attacks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes — a step that has raised alarm in global markets and diplomatic circles.
At the United Nations, Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned that the situation could spiral beyond control if the violence continues.
