BlockBeats News, March 1st, yesterday, Trump announced that the United States and Israel jointly launched a “major military operation” against Iran, with the goal of destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile capabilities, naval forces, and promoting regime change.
Trump has posted many times on Truth Social, claiming that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in the attack, and stating that this is the “best opportunity for the Iranian people to take back their country,” calling on the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the regime. He stated that the bombing will “continue uninterrupted for a week or longer if necessary.” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that there are “many signs” indicating that Khamenei “is no longer among the living,” and stated that the operation targeted the Iranian leadership, missiles, and air defense systems. This morning, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a new round of strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems.
However, Iranian officials vehemently denied Khamenei’s death, stating that he is “safe and commanding the battlefield,” and accusing the U.S. and Israel of spreading “psychological warfare.” Iranian state media reported that Khamenei is “firmly commanding.” The attack caused significant casualties in Iran: the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported at least 201 dead and more than 700 injured; some reports mentioned that a primary school was hit, resulting in the deaths of dozens of students, with the total casualties approaching one thousand. The attack covered 24 provinces in Iran, including near the presidential palace in Tehran and Khamenei’s residence.
According to insiders close to the Supreme Leader’s residence, it has been confirmed that Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were killed. It was also revealed that one of Khamenei’s daughters-in-law was killed in the morning attack on the 28th.
Iran quickly retaliated: launching hundreds of missiles and drones targeting Israel’s mainland and U.S. military bases in the Middle East (including in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, etc.). The attack led to at least 1 death in Abu Dhabi; Israel reported intercepting most of the missiles, but some fragments caused casualties. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard declared “unrestricted, without red lines” retaliation and stated that they have closed the Strait of Hormuz (a key oil passage), which could further disrupt the global energy market.
The conflict is ongoing, with the U.S. and Israel stating that they will continue to strike, while Iran vows a “devastating response.” The situation is highly unstable, with a risk of further escalation. At the time of writing, an Israeli emergency response organization stated that on the first day of the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran, the number of injured in Israel reached 121, and earlier the organization also reported one death.
