Iran has launched a new round of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf citiesafter vowing retaliation for the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989.
In a statement posted to social media, the Israel Defense Forces said it was now striking “targets” of the Iranian “regime in the heart of Tehran”.
Multiple rounds of sirens were heard across central Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank on Sunday morningand explosions were reported in Doha, Dubai and Manama. Blasts were also heard near Erbil airportwhich hosts US-led coalition troops, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament warned that US President Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “crossed our red lines” that they would “suffer the consequences”. Trump, in a post on social media, said Iran should not retaliateor it would be hit with a force that has “never been seen before”.
Iranian state media announced the deaths of several high-level military officials, including armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, and head of the defence council Ali Shamkhani, saying they were killed “during a defence council meeting”. More names would follow, it said.
At least 133 civilians have been killed, and 200 civilians injured during US-Israel strikes on Iran on Saturday, according to the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), which said it had recorded incidents across 18 provinces in Iran.
Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security adviser, has warned “secessionist groups” they will face a harsh response if they attempt any action, and called for unity. Trump previously urged the Iranian people to “take over” the government, saying: “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country.”
Thousands of people have gathered in central Tehran to mourn the death of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989. Mourners, who were dressed in black and carried photos of the former leader, chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel”. However, others celebrated, with reports describing people cheering from rooftops, blowing whistles and letting out ululations.
Protesters rallied in support of Iran in several cities, attempting to storm the US consulate in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, and to enter the fortified Green Zone of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, where the US embassy is located. Thousands also rallied in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday.
The United Nations’ nuclear agency said it will hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday at the request of Russia. The meeting is in response to the US-Israel strikes, which Trump has said are a response to Iran attempting to “rebuild their nuclear program”.
