Iran Launches Strikes After Leader's Assassination; Former President Killed

Iran launched fresh strikes across the Gulf on Sunday, vowing revenge for the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the US and Israel, defying threats from US President Donald Trump. Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also reported killed in the preceding Israeli and US airstrikes, along with three bodyguards.

Key points

• Blasts were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Manama, as well as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
• Israel claimed its joint operation eliminated 40 senior commanders, including Khamenei, in one minute.
• The UAE intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones; three fatalities (Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi nationals) and 58 minor injuries were reported in the UAE.
• Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian called Khamenei's killing a "declaration of war against Muslims."
• Protests following Khamenei's death in Pakistan resulted in at least nine people killed by gunshot wounds in Karachi during a storming attempt at the US consulate.

Why it matters

The event marks a severe escalation in Middle East tensions following the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, leading to direct retaliatory strikes by Iran against Gulf states and US bases, and causing civilian casualties abroad.