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Iran’s clerical leadership has vowed to avenge the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as fresh large-scale attacks were launched on Sunday, while Israel intensified strikes on its capital, Tehran.
The escalation follows coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Saturday that reportedly killed Khamenei, triggering swift military retaliation from Iran and heightening tensions across the region.
Here are the latest developments.
Iranian Strikes Leave Five Dead in Israel
Iran’s latest missile attacks have resulted in at least five deaths in central Israel, according to the police.
Emergency responders earlier reported casualties in Beit Shemesh, including a child.
News of the deaths came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a fresh wave of attacks against the “enemy”.
In the United Arab Emirates, which has been hard-hit by Iran’s retaliation, authorities said that three people had been killed and 58 injured since the retaliatory strikes began.
Tehran Denies Targeting Gulf States
Iran’s Security Chief rejected claims that neighbouring countries were targeted, maintaining that its operations were directed at US military bases.
However, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that it has summoned Iran’s ambassador over what it described as attacks affecting the kingdom and other regional allies.
Gulf countries are expected to hold an emergency virtual meeting on Sunday evening to coordinate a unified response to Iran’s attacks.
Oil Tanker Sinking Raises Market Concerns
An oil tanker was reportedly struck and left sinking near the Strait of Hormuz while allegedly attempting an unauthorised passage, according to Iranian state media.
The closure of the strait, through which a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and a fifth of all liquified natural gas passes, could cause the price of crude to spike on the world markets.
As the news of the sinking broke, eight OPEC+ states announced a greater-than-expected increase of 206,000 barrels a day to the cartel’s oil production quotas.
The group, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, cited “a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals” as reasons for the increase.
Shelter in place
The United Kingdom Foreign Office on Sunday advised its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to “shelter in place”.
The Foreign Office “now advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE,” it said on X (formerly Twitter) in its latest update.
Britain’s defence secretary, John Healey, meanwhile, reported missile activity near Cyprus, stating that “two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus”, although they were likely not targeting the Mediterranean island.
Israel Intensifies Bombing of Tehran
The Israeli army announced Sunday it was again launching “large-scale” strikes targeting the key areas in Tehran.
Defence Minister Israel Katz described Khamenei’s killing as a major turning point, accusing him of orchestrating sustained threats against Israel.
“He led the campaign of destruction against the State of Israel, he built the entire axis of evil around us, and within Iran itself he pursued an uncompromising line against the State of Israel,” Katz said during a security assessment along with top military and security officials, according to a statement by his office.
Interim Leadership Announced in Iran
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been appointed to an interim leadership council alongside senior officials, which includes the president and head of the judiciary, pending the selection of a permanent successor.
Iran Promises Stronger Retaliation
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the killing of Khamenei was a “declaration of war against Muslims” on Sunday, vowing vengeance.
Senior officials, including Ali Larijani, warned that both the US and Israel would face unprecedented consequences.
Iran confirmed on Sunday that it had already targeted US bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and the Gulf.
Air raid sirens sounded, and explosions were heard over Jerusalem on Sunday after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
AFP correspondents heard blasts in Dubai, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, across Bahrain’s capital Manama and Qatar, where thick black smoke was also seen rising south of Doha.
A top Emirati official warned Iran on Sunday that “your war is not with your neighbours” and that retaliation against Gulf states was a “miscalculation”.
Explosions Reported Across Region
Air raid sirens and explosions were reported in multiple locations, including Jerusalem, Dubai, Manama, and Doha, as the conflict spread.
Regional officials warned Iran against extending attacks to neighbouring countries, cautioning that such moves could worsen the crisis.
US intercepts Drones in Iraq
US defence systems intercepted at least two drones on Sunday over the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, as sirens sounded from the American consulate, an AFP journalist reported.
US officials also warned citizens in Bahrain to avoid hotels in the capital, Manama, while staff at the US embassy in Jordan were told to avoid the embassy compound, citing risks of attacks.
Protests Turn Deadly in Several Countries
Crowds gathered on Sunday in Iran’s south to call for vengeance following the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported.
Similar gatherings took place elsewhere in Iran, including in Tehran and the central city of Yazd.
Hundreds of demonstrators in Iraq, which officially declared three days of mourning for Khamenei, also tried to storm the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, where the US embassy is located.
In Pakistan, nine people were killed as hundreds of demonstrators tried to storm the US consulate in the megacity of Karachi, the local rescue service said.
Several thousand Shia Muslims joined demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir, many chanting anti-Israel and anti-US slogans.
Evacuations Underway
Thailand has begun preparations to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East using military and chartered flights, as governments assess the security situation, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Sunday.
Senior Iranian Officials Confirmed Dead
Iranian media reported the deaths of several top officials. Iran’s police intelligence chief Gholamreza Rezaian was killed during US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported on Sunday.
Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, was killed along with other senior generals in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported on Sunday.
State TV listed Mousavi’s name alongside Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and others.
State Media Confirms Khamenei’s Death
Iranian state television officially announced Khamenei’s death early Sunday, accompanied by mourning broadcasts.
Reports also indicated that members of his family, including his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. were killed in the strikes.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump had said hours earlier on his Truth Social platform.
“Heavy and pinpoint bombing… will continue, uninterrupted, throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST,” Trump wrote.
UN Nuclear Agency to Meet
The United Nations’ nuclear agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on Iran on Monday.
In a statement late on Saturday, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the meeting was at the request of Russia, a key ally of Tehran, to address the escalating situation involving Iran.
