Ayatollah Khamenei assassinated in Israeli-American strikes: Iranian state media- Live Updates

Tehran: The US and Israel have launched a major combat attack on Iran, the Israeli defence minister said on Saturday. Iran has responded swiftly and has targeted key Israeli cities with a barrage of Ballistic missiles. 

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a first wave of missile and drone attacks against Israel in retaliation for the strikes, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Israel’s military said it had protectively sounded air raid sirens in areas across the country “to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward Israel” in retaliation.

“We have started an extensive military operation in Iran; we will destroy the threat from the cruel Iranian regime,” the US President said in a video statement.

Israel’s Channel 12 claimed, citing an Israeli security source, that the attack underway in Iran is a joint US-Israel operation.

[12: 35 PM] Israel claims to have dropped over 1,200 bombs on Iran in one day

Israel’s air force says it dropped more than 1,200 munitions on Iran over the past day in its joint attack with the US.

Among the sites attacked in Iran was an elementary girls’ school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, where at least 148 people have been reported killed and dozens more injured.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “dozens of innocent children” were murdered in the attack on the school, which would “not go unanswered”.

[11: 35 AM] Protester storm US Consulate Karachi

At least five injured as protests have erupted outside the United States Consulate shortly after news spread of the reported assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israel strike on Iran.

According to details, a large number of protesters assembled near the consulate in Karachi, chanting slogans and attempting to move towards the building.

Police used tear gas and baton charges in an effort to disperse the crowd. The situation escalated further when some protesters allegedly broke through the main gate and entered the consulate’s outer premises.

کراچی: مظاہرین امریکی قونصل خانے میں داخل توڑ پھوڑ#ARYNews #Karachi #iranisraelconflict pic.twitter.com/0c0ghdFgPN

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) March 1, 2026

[10: 46 AM] Trump warns Iran: ‘THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT’

The U.S. will hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if the Middle East nation retaliates, Trump said on Sunday.

“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

He added, “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

[10:04 AM]  IRGC attacks US Bases in Middle East

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that American military bases in the Middle East are being targeted, alleging that 27 US installations across the region have come under attack.

The IRGC further claimed that explosions occurred near Erbil International Airport in Iraq, which it said is used by US and allied forces.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that at least 11 explosions were heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Reports also suggested that multiple blasts were heard in Dubai, although there has been no immediate official confirmation regarding the nature or cause of the explosions.

ایران نے اسرائیل، امریکی اڈوں کے خلاف حملوں کی چھٹی لہر شروع کردی، پاسداران انقلاب
تازہ ترین صورتحال#ARYNews #iranisraelconflict #ayatullahkhamenei pic.twitter.com/v54vw9zy58

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) March 1, 2026

[ 09: 48 AM] Air raid sirens sound across Israel

Shortly after 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) air raid sirens repeatedly sounded across Israel, warning residents of an incoming attack.

In Tel Aviv, a series of explosions were heard as Israel’s sophisticated air defense system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.

There was no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.

[ 09: 26 AM] Iran continues retaliatory strikes against Israel

Despite death of Iran’s supreme leader, IRG continues attacking Israel in retaliatory strikes. One Israeli is dead and 20 are injured as per Israeli media reports.

[ 06: 59 AM] Revolutionary Guard mourns ‘great leader’ Khamenei

“We have lost a great leader and we are mourning him, a leader who was unique in in terms of purity of spirit, strength of faith, resourcefulness in affairs, courage in the face of the arrogant, and jihad in the path of God”, a statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.

ایرانی فوج کا سپریم لیڈر آیت اللہ خامنہ ای کو شہیدکیےجانےکا بدلہ لینےکااعلان#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/BpwTyIN0Zn

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) March 1, 2026

[06:47 AM] Muhammad Raza Arif appointed Iran president: Israeli media

According to Israeli media reports Muhammad Raza Arif has took charge as Iran president.

[05:53 AM] Ayatollah Khamenei dead in Israeli-American strikes: Iranian media

Iranian state media have confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at his office in the Israeli-US attacks on Iran, following earlier reports of his killing by US and Israeli officials.

A 40-day mourning period for the longtime Iranian leader has been announced.

ایران کےسرکاری میڈیا نے آیت اللہ خامنہ ای کی شہادت کی تصدیق کردی#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/xJ9nOybEZZ

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) March 1, 2026

[03:44 AM] Iran envoy to UN slams civilian deaths as ‘war crime’

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations on Saturday alleged the US and Israel had committed a “war crime,” saying their strikes had targeted civilian infrastructure and killed more than 100 children at a school, AFP reported.

“The number of innocent civilians continues to rise. This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime and a crime against humanity,” Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

“ایران پر اسرائیل اور امریکا کے حملے میں عام شہری مارے گئے”، ایرانی مندوب#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/uiw7BMDgmZ

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) February 28, 2026

 

[2:46 AM] Iran Strikes Dubai International Airport

Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, was damaged and four staff were injured in an “incident”, it said on Saturday following waves of Iranian missile attacks, AFP reported

“A concourse at Dubai International sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained,” Dubai Airports said in a statement, adding: “Due to contingency plans already in place, most of the terminals were previously cleared of passengers.”

Dubai authorities said debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at the city’s famed luxury hotel the Burj Al Arab, according to a statement Sunday, following a wave of Iranian strikes launched at Gulf states.

“Authorities confirm that a drone was intercepted and debris caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab’s outer facade,” the Dubai Media Office wrote on its X account.

“Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought the incident under control. No injuries have been reported.”

دبئی کےانٹرنیشنل ایئرپورٹ ٹرمینل 3کےقریب ایران کا ڈرون حملہ#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/5TnbOrkitG

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) February 28, 2026

[1:42 AM] Trump claims Iran’s top leadership killed

US President Donald Trump has claimed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In the post, President Trump stated that Khamenei was “unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems” and suggested that other Iranian leaders had also been killed.

He described the situation as an opportunity for the Iranian people to “take back their country” and claimed that some members of Iran’s IRGC, military, security, and police forces were seeking immunity from the US.

Trump added that US military operations in the region would continue, describing the bombing campaign as “heavy and pinpoint” and saying it would persist as long as necessary to achieve “peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world.”

Earlier, Trump also calimed in an interview with American television that most of Iran’s key decision makers have been killed.

US President Trump said that reports suggesting the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, appeared to be accurate.

He described the US strike on Iran as “very powerful”, adding that he was confident reports regarding Ayatollah Khamenei’s killing were correct. Trump also said the conflict with Iran could either be prolonged or conclude within a matter of days.

[1:20 AM] Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed, senior Israeli official claims- Reuters report

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who turned the country into a powerful anti-US. force and extended its military influence across the Middle East while crushing repeated domestic unrest, was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Saturday.

سینئر اسرائیلی حکام کا ایرانی سپریم لیڈر علی خامنہ ای کی لاش ملنے کا دعویٰ، رائٹرز#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/9JKm0hApo9

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) February 28, 2026

[12:47] Iran strongly rejects Israel’s claims about Khamenei, says he is ‘commanding the field

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is personally overseeing and directing the country’s war effort, according to reports in Iranian  media.

[12:19] Israel’s Netanyahu says many signs that Khamenei ‘is no longer’

[12:07 AM] son-in-law and daughter-in-law of Iran’s Supreme Leader Martyred

The son-in-law and daughter-in-law of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, have been martyred, according to a statement issued by the Iranian embassy.

[11:20 PM] Iranian Red Crescent says more than 200 killed in US-Israeli strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent reported on Saturday evening that at least 201 people were killed and 747 wounded in strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.

The organisation said “24 (of Iran’s 31) provinces were affected and the Red Crescent is in a state of alert”, in a statement published by the ISNA news agency. This is the first official Iranian toll from the strikes.

[10:13 PM] Iran’s revolutionary guards tell ships passage through Strait of Hormuz ‘not allowed’, EU naval

An official from the European Union’s naval mission Aspides said on Saturday that vessels have been receiving VHF transmission from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards saying “no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz”.

The strait is the world’s most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Iran had not formally confirmed any such order. Tehran has for years threatened to block the narrow waterway in retaliation for any attack on the Islamic Republic.

 

[8: 58 PM] Death toll from attack on school in Iran’s south rises to 85: judiciary

The death toll from an attack Saturday on a school in Iran’s south has risen to 85, the judiciary said, after the US and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic republic.

“The number of martyrs at the girls’ school in Minab has increased to 85,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website quoted the area’s prosecutor’s office as saying.

[8: 37 PM] Khamenei is alive, Iran interested in de-escalation: foreign minister

Iran’s foreign minister said the country’s supreme leader was alive, along with all high-ranking officials, after Israel and the United States launched strikes across the country on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was alive “as far as I know”, in an interview from Tehran with the US outlet, adding that “all high ranking officials are alive”.

Araghchi said he had been in contact with Gulf states and “explained for them that we have no intention to attack them but we are actually attacking the American bases in the act of self defence”.

He added that while there was no communication with Washington now, “if Americans wants to talk to us. They know how they can contact me. We are certainly interested for de-escalation”.

[8: 30 PM] UN calls emergency Security Council meeting after strikes on Iran

The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting Saturday after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes by Tehran.

The session due to start at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT) will address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations said. The meeting was urged by France and Bahrain, according to the Israeli delegation to the world body.

[7: 52 PM] UN chief condemns Mideast ‘escalation,’ urges immediate end to hostilities

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned the “escalation” of military violence in the Middle East and urged an immediate cessation of fighting.

[7: 41 PM] Iran defence minister, Guards commander killed in Israeli attacks, three sources say (Reuters)

Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks, two sources familiar with Israel’s military operations and one regional source said.

[7:17 PM] China calls for ‘immediate halt’ to Iran escalation

China warned against any further escalation in the Middle East on Saturday, calling for an “immediate halt” to violence after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which has retaliated with missiles.

“China calls for an immediate halt to military actions, urges avoiding further escalation of tensions, and encourages the resumption of dialogue and negotiations to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.

“Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” it added.

 

[7:17 PM] 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces ‘affected in attacks’: Iran’s Red Crescent Society

More than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces have been impacted by US and Israeli strikes launched on Saturday, Iran’s Red Crescent Society said.

[ 7:17 PM] Baghdad denounces strikes on Iran, warns against involving Iraq

Iraqi authorities denounced US-Israeli strikes on neighbouring Iran and warned against drawing Iraq into the conflict, after air strikes killed two people in the country’s south.

Sabah Al-Numan, the military spokesman for the prime minister, said that Iraq “condemned the unjustified aggression against the Islamic republic”, and “warned of the consequences of the blatant aggression” against Iraqi sites.

Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, with the Islamic republic retaliating with barrages of missiles targeting Gulf states and Israel.

In Iraq, two people were killed Saturday in air strikes on a military base housing the powerful pro-Iran group Kataeb Hezbollah, which has threatened the US with an imminent response.

Earlier Saturday, Iraq said it had closed its airspace.

Witnesses and a military source told AFP that warplanes and missiles were seen flying through Iraqi airspace.

Numan warned against using Iraq’s airspace and territory “as a corridor or launching point for aggression against Iran”.

Iraq “equally rejects the use of its land or territorial waters as a means of dragging the country into the conflict”, he added.

Baghdad also called “for the immediate cessation of military operations” and urged powers, especially the US, to “act responsibly and contribute effectively to finding solutions away from the military option”.

[ 7:17 PM] Jordan strongly condemns Iran’s attacks on UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait

Jordan’s foreign ministry on Saturday strongly condemned Iran’s attacks on the kingdom as well as the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, stressing the “need for restraint” in the conflict.

The ministry said in a statement it “condemned in the strongest terms Iran’s attack on Jordanian territory with ballistic missiles, as well as the attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar and the State of Kuwait”.

The ministry underscored “the need for restraint and the adoption of diplomatic solutions and dialogue”.

[ 7:13 PM] Qatar ruler, Saudi crown prince urge ‘immediate halt’ to escalation on call: Qatari emir’s office

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday urged a halt to escalation and return to dialogue after Iranian missiles targeted countries across the Gulf.

On a call “both sides emphasised the necessity of an immediate halt to any escalatory actions and a return to the dialogue table to preserve regional security and prevent a slide toward broader confrontations,” the Qatari ruler’s office said in a statement.

[ 6:18 PM] Toll from southern Iran school strike rises to 51: state TV

A strike that hit a school in southern Iran killed 51 students, state television reported Saturday, citing a local official who gave an updated toll.

“In this morning’s Israeli missile attack on a girls’ elementary school in the (Minab) county, 51 students have so far been killed and 60 students have been wounded,” the county governor said.

[5: 15 PM] Omani foreign minister urges US ‘not to get sucked in further’

Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, who had been mediating the recent rounds of indirect talks between the US and Iran.

In a social media post, Albusaidi said he was “dismayed” by today’s attacks.

“Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer,” he added.

I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further.…

— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) February 28, 2026

 

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[4:53 PM] — Israel’s opposition reacts to Iran operation

Arab-Israeli opposition MK Ayman Odeh stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has decided that Israel will “live by the sword forever,” amid ongoing strikes by the Israeli Air Force and U.S. forces on Iran.

“Look after yourselves, because this government won’t do it for you,” Odeh warned, emphasizing that military action isn’t “the only way” and advocating for a regional solution that would bring “justice, peace, security, stability, and prosperity to all of us.”

Meanwhile, other opposition MKs showed less criticism of the joint operation, which started Saturday morning.

[4:44 PM] — Death toll from Israeli strike on Iranian elementary school surges to 40

The Epstein regime has murdered 24 girls at their elementary school in Minab city. pic.twitter.com/oYg4Fm3MVq

— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) February 28, 2026

The political, security, and social deputy governor of Hormozgan reported to Tasnim News that an Israeli strike directly hit a girls’ elementary school in Minab County during today’s attacks. So far, 40 students have been confirmed killed.

 

[4:20 PM] — American/Israeli air strikes on Supreme Leader Khamenei’s compound

A photo from the New York Times displays the damage caused by American/Israeli air strikes to Supreme Leader Khamenei’s compound in Tehran.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the United States and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.

The strikes put nearby oil-producing Gulf Arab countries on edge as fears of escalation in the region grew, and Israel said Tehran responded by launching missiles towards Israel.

[3:48 PM] — Israeli assassination attempt failed

Israeli assessments indicate that the attempt to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and the Iranian President has failed,’ – Channel 15

The first wave of strikes in what the Pentagon named “OPERATION EPIC FURY” mainly targeted Iranian officials, a source familiar with the matter said.

Earlier, an Israeli official said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian were both targeted, but the result of the strikes was not clear. A source with knowledge of the matter had earlier told Reuters that Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.

[3:34 PM] — Russia’s Medvedev says US negotiations were ‘a cover’

[3:32 PM] — Israel targets elementary school in Iran; 5 killed

Iran’s Pres TV reports that the political, security, and social deputy governor of Hormozgan said: A girls’ elementary school was directly hit in today’s Israeli attacks on Minab County, and so far five students have been killed.  No injuries were reported.

 

[2:48 PM] — Explosions reported in Riyadh, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi

Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the fifth US base in Bahrain have been targeted by Iranian missile attacks, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. AFP news agency is also reporting explosions in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh as well.

[2:25 PM] — Israelis head for shelter as missiles launched from Iran

[2:09 PM] — Iran repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons ahead of attacks

[1:53 PM] — Iran’s Interior Ministry urges citizens to remain calm

[1:49 PM] — OPERATION EPIC FURY.’

The Pentagon says the strikes on Iran were named ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY.’

We have now heard from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a video posted on social media, he said:

• “A short time ago, the U.S. military began major combat operations in Iran.”
• “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
• Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”
• “We sought repeatedly to make a deal.”
• Iran “attempted to rebuild their nuclear programme.”
• Iran is developing long-range missiles that threaten the U.S. and others.”
• “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
• “We’re going to annihilate their navy.”
• “We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”

[1:44 PM] — Iranian missiles intercepted

The Israeli Defence Force reported that another volley of projectiles had been launched toward Israel, urging citizens to follow the directives of the Home Front Command strictly. The military instructed residents to remain in their protected spaces until an official announcement is made regarding their safety.

Additionally, an IDF spokesperson strongly warned the public against publishing or sharing the locations of vulnerabilities or any documentation of impacts. To reassure citizens, the military stated that its air defense systems are continuously detecting and intercepting incoming threats.

Iranian authorities have vowed to give a harsh response to Israel and the US bases in the Middle East.

[1:29 PM] — Explosions rock northern Israel

[1:22 PM] — Iran launches missiles towards Israel: Israeli army

[1:00 PM] — Places where Israeli attacks targeted in Tehran?

[12:48 PM] — Iranian President is unharmed

The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, was unharmed during the attacks by Israel and the U.S., according to the Iranian Mehr agency.

 

[12:39 PM] — US President Donald Trump

“We have started an extensive military operation in Iran; we will destroy the threat from the cruel Iranian regime,” – President Donald Trump.

“Our goal is to protect the American people by destroying the threats from the Iranian regime.” – President Donald Trump.

[12:34 PM] — Iran’s response will be crushing

Tehran is preparing for retaliation, and the response will be crushing, an Iranian official tells Reuters.

[12:25 PM] — Israel will carry out attacks for four days

The New York Times reported that the first phase of the assault on Tehran is set to last for four days.

[12:17 PM] — Multiple cities targeted

Tehran Times reported strikes in several cities, including Qom, Khoramabad, Esfahan, and Tehran.

[12:15 PM] — Civilians targeted in Tehran

Civilians hit by Israeli strike in Iran

 

[12:05 PM] — US-Israel joint attack on Iran

The U.S. participated in the attack and was also carrying out strikes. – WSJ citing U.S. official.

[12:00 PM] — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was not in Tehran

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was not in Tehran during the attacks. – Reuters.