American, Israeli strike on Iran came 2 days after latest talks, as theocracy struggled with nationwide protests |
American, Israeli strike on Iran came 2 days after latest talks, as theocracy struggled with nationwide protests
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday in a massive operation, and Tehran hours later said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead. In announcing the attack, President Donald Trump urged Iranians to seize the moment and “take over.”
Iranian state television and state-run IRNA news agency reported Khamenei’s death without details.
In counterattacks, Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel and aimed strikes at U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Exchanges of fire continued into early Sunday.
Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, on Saturday evening said at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 injured. Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, said Israel and America will “regret their actions.”
The strikes came two days after the latest U.S.-Iran talks as Trump pressured Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program, building up a fleet of warships in the region. Iran’s theocracy also has struggled with growing dissent following nationwide protests that began over the economy but turned into anti-government ones.
The U.S. military said it was looking into reports of civilians killed in Iran in Saturday’s strikes. At least 115 people were reported killed and dozens wounded at a girls’ school in the south, the local governor told Iranian state TV.
World leaders reacted with caution, and the U.N. Security Council met in an urgent session.
Supreme leader’s compound was one of the first targets
Israel said it had worked with the U.S. for months to plan the attacks. The U.S.........