US and Israel launch massive attack on Iran, kill Supreme Leader

The US and Israel launched a massive joint military offensive against Iran on Saturday morning that killed several top officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who’s ruled the country since 1989.

How it went down: US and Israeli forces launched nearly 900 strikes over a 12-hour period at high-value military, governmental, and leadership sites across Iran. The attack, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” involved US Tomahawk missiles, HIMARS launchers, and ~200 Israeli fighter jets.

Israel says its opening strikes targeted 30 top Iranian military and civilian leaders overall, including Supreme Leader Khamenei’s compound in Tehran.

• Other high-level Iranian officials confirmed killed include the country’s top security adviser, defense minister, head of military intelligence, and chair of Iran’s nuclear weapons research org.
• Iran’s Red Crescent (a version of the Red Cross) reported a total of 201 deaths and 700+ injuries in the joint attacks, with Iran’s president claiming 80+ schoolchildren were killed in a strike at a girls’ elementary school.

Why did the US attack?

In an eight-minute video posted shortly after the joint strikes began, President Trump said the operation is intended to eliminate Iran’s capabilities of building a nuclear weapon, destroy its missile industry, and provide the Iranian people with an opportunity for regime change.

• In a later interview, Trump cited two main reasons for launching the strikes: the failure of US-Iran negotiations last week, and Iran's historical conduct over the past several decades.
• He also suggested the military operation could “go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days” with new ultimatums directed at Iran.

It’s the second time the US military has struck Iran in less than a year, following missile strikes last June that caused significant damage to three key Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran responds

On Saturday, Iran’s military began launching an ongoing series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases located across the Middle East, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE and Jordan.

• Three US service members were confirmed killed in action and five others seriously wounded as of Sunday morning.
• Israel said at least 10 people have been killed by Iran’s retaliatory strikes, while the UAE and Kuwait also reported fatalities.

Within Iran, reactions were mixed. Several cities across the country saw residents host celebrations in response to Supreme Leader Khamenei’s death, while others saw Iranians gather in the streets to mourn Khamenei’s death.

Iran’s government said a three-man council will temporarily assume Khamenei’s duties until a new leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior Shiite clerics.

Looking ahead…Trump over the weekend posted on social media saying that "heavy and pinpoint bombing" of Iran will continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary.”

Trump also said Iran reached out to resume negotiations with the US one day after Khamenei’s death, with Trump agreeing to hold new talks.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support or oppose President Trump’s move to launch a joint military strike with Israel against Iran’s government?

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