Intro: Israel expands military offensive as Iran vows to avenge the death of its decades-long leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes
Jerusalem
Israel’s military announced on Sunday that it had launched a broad wave of air strikes deep inside Tehran, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The offensive came hours after the United States and Israel stated that an earlier air strike had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering fears of widespread instability across the Middle East.
According to Israeli military officials, the air force conducted large-scale operations over the past 24 hours aimed at opening what it described as the path to Tehran. The strikes reportedly targeted strategic and military infrastructure in and around the Iranian capital. The Israeli military characterized the campaign as a decisive step in its broader objective to weaken and potentially overthrow the government of the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s state media confirmed the death of 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the air strike. Khamenei, who had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, held ultimate authority in the country’s political and military hierarchy. As Supreme Leader, he acted as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and had the final say on key matters of state, including foreign policy, which has long been defined by confrontation with the United States and Israel.
Under Iran’s constitution, the Supreme Leader is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body responsible for supervising and, in theory, dismissing the country’s highest authority. In the wake of Khamenei’s death, his adviser and top security official, Ali Larijani, announced that a temporary leadership council would be established in accordance with constitutional provisions until a new leader is selected.
Two U.S. sources and a U.S. official familiar with the matter revealed that Israel and the United States had coordinated the timing of Saturday’s strike to coincide with a high-level meeting Khamenei was holding with senior aides. The targeted attack and subsequent strikes on Tehran have significantly heightened tensions in the region, raising concerns of broader military confrontation and political upheaval across the Middle East.