The United States announced Sunday that it had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, while also confirming the first American fatalities in the ongoing war to topple the Iranian government.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement on X, accompanied by footage of missiles launching from a US Navy ship and striking an urban compound. America has the most powerful military on earth, and the IRGC no longer has a headquarters, the statement read.
Despite continuing missile strikes on Tehran, President Donald Trump told the Daily Mail that the conflict could last up to a month, calling it always… a four week process.
The joint US-Israeli offensive began Saturday with airstrikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks across the Middle East, hitting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Israel.
The Pentagon reported that three US service members were killed and five seriously wounded, with several others suffering minor injuries. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing, the Pentagon said.
President Trump, facing criticism for his delayed response to the US casualties, told NBC News: We expect casualties, but in the end it’s going to be a great deal for the world.
Iran Strikes Back
Explosions rocked Tehran on Sunday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced their own large-scale attacks, launching missiles and drones at targets throughout the Gulf.
An attack on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh killed at least nine people, with others still missing. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, declared: Today we will hit them with a force that they have never experienced before.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a declaration of war against Muslims, vowing to avenge those responsible.
Meanwhile, Israel called Khamenei’s death a first step. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani claimed the joint operation eliminated 40 senior commanders, including Khamenei, in one minute. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged further escalation, as Israel mobilized 100,000 reservists and increased readiness on multiple fronts.
Gulf States Drawn Into the Conflict
Iran’s initial retaliatory strikes on Saturday targeted every Gulf state except Oman, which had tried to mediate between Washington and Tehran. On Sunday, Oman’s Duqm port was struck by two drones, injuring a foreign worker, according to state media.
Three ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared the waterway closed. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln, but the Pentagon said the missiles fell short. President Trump said US forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and damaged Iran’s naval headquarters.
Britain advised its citizens in the Gulf to shelter in place, while the US missions in Jordan and Bahrain issued safety warnings after attacks damaged a hotel.
Iran’s strikes in the Gulf have killed at least four people and wounded dozens. The UAE, where three people were killed, announced it was withdrawing its ambassador from Iran and closing its embassy.
Inside Iran, the Red Crescent reported 201 deaths and hundreds injured by Saturday evening. Iran’s judiciary confirmed that top Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani and Revolutionary Guards General Mohammad Pakpour were among the casualties.
Questions Over Iran’s Succession
Reactions in Iran were mixed: some citizens celebrated news of Khamenei’s death, while pro-government demonstrators chanted Death to America! After state media confirmed the killing, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed to join President Pezeshkian on an interim leadership council until a new supreme leader is selected.
One Tehran resident reflected on the moment, saying, We all realized that there is absolutely no way to reform this regime except through foreign intervention. Others, like a local truck driver, expressed uncertainty and fear about Iran’s future.
— AFP
