EPIC FURY: U.S., Israel Strike Iran; Khamenei Reportedly Killed

The United States and Israel have launched what is being described as the most ambitious military assault on Iran in decades, in a joint campaign code-named Operation Epic Fury, triggering widespread panic across Iranian cities and raising fears of a wider Middle East war.

Israeli officials claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the strikes, saying his compound was destroyed alongside key military and nuclear installations. Iranian authorities condemned the attacks as “unprovoked and illegal” and retaliated with missile strikes against Israel and several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the operation was aimed at eliminating what he described as a long-standing threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and called on Iranian security forces to lay down their weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks could create conditions for Iranians to overthrow their government.

Explosions across several Iranian cities triggered widespread fear among civilians. Residents reported intense bombardment and uncertainty about their safety as airstrikes targeted hundreds of locations. Israeli officials said about 200 fighter jets struck roughly 500 targets in what they described as the largest air mission in Israel’s history.

Sources familiar with the operation said several senior Iranian officials, including top military commanders and nuclear figures, were killed. Iranian media also reported casualties among members of Khamenei’s extended family.

Iran warned that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil route — raising expectations of sharp increases in oil prices. Airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East as tensions escalated.

Missile barrages were reported in Israel and parts of the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. The Pentagon said U.S. forces had faced hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks but reported no American casualties.

Tehran warned that stronger retaliation was still to come, with a Revolutionary Guards commander saying Iran had so far used only limited weapons and would soon deploy more advanced systems.

The United Nations Security Council was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire.

The dramatic escalation comes after weeks of stalled nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and amid growing fears that the conflict could spread across the region and disrupt global oil supplies.