Middle East on brink as Iran threatens massive retaliation after Khamenei killed
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed sweeping retaliation following the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as air-raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv amid renewed missile fire.
State television confirmed Khamenei’s death hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the 86-year-old cleric had been killed in a major US–Israeli military assault. Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history.”
In a message posted on Telegram, the IRGC warned that “the most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces will begin any moment now,” pledging to strike what it called “occupied territories and American terrorist bases” across the region. Several of those bases are located in Gulf states that have already experienced deadly Iranian strikes in recent days.
The Guards declared that the “hand of revenge of the Iranian nation” would not relent against those responsible. Unlike Iran’s conventional military, which reports to the elected government’s Defence Ministry, the IRGC answers directly to the supreme leader.
Massive escalation
Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed in what officials described as the opening phase of a large-scale US and Israeli operation aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic. The offensive extended into a second day, marking the first US military action of such scale targeting a foreign government since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Soon after, Israel reported another barrage of missiles, triggering sirens in multiple cities. The Israeli military said its air force was “operating to intercept and strike.” Army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the campaign as being on a “completely different scale” from the 12-day conflict with Iran in June.
Airspace closures rippled across the region, with Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Israel suspending civilian flights in full or in part. Airlines cancelled routes to and from the Middle East as tensions deepened.
Diplomacy collapses
The escalation followed diplomatic efforts in Geneva, where Trump’s envoys had met Iran’s foreign minister days earlier. Trump later said Tehran had failed to compromise sufficiently on its disputed nuclear programme and made clear that the objective had shifted toward regime change rather than a negotiated deal.
Iranian media also reported that several members of Khamenei’s family — including his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter — were killed in the strikes.
Among senior figures who survived was Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who vowed defiance. “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors,” he said.
Regional fallout
Explosions were reported again in Tehran overnight as Trump vowed to continue operations until the fall of the Islamic Republic, urging Iranian security forces to stand down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly called on Iranians to “overthrow the regime.”
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the Middle East. At least two people were reported killed in Abu Dhabi and another in Tel Aviv as blasts rocked major Gulf cities.
Israel’s military also said that senior Iranian figures — including top adviser Ali Shamkhani and IRGC chief Mohammad Pakpour — were among those killed.
The rapidly widening confrontation has left the region on edge, with global powers watching closely as the conflict threatens to spiral into a broader war.
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- Iran vows “most ferocious” offensive after Khamenei’s death; sirens sound in Tel Aviv - March 1, 2026
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- Israel and US launch strikes on Iran; Tehran retaliates with missile barrage - February 28, 2026
