Iran live updates: U.S. and Israel launch strikes on Iran

A senior Israeli official has confirmed to Reuters that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, has been killed and his body has been found. 

A Fox News reporter cited a U.S. official to say that the initial Israeli strike likely resulted in the deaths of Khamenei and five to ten top Iranian leaders.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has governed Iran since 1989. As Supreme Leader, he wields ultimate authority over all branches of government military and the judiciary within the Shi’ite Islamic republic.

Over nearly four decades, Khamenei has cultivated a regional power comparable to that of the Sunni Muslim states across the Gulf.  Furthermore he has promoted nuclear technology that has unsettled the surrounding region.

Iran has consistently maintained a hostile stance towards the United States and Israel while simultaneously suppressing domestic unrest.

However, Saturday’s strikes on Iran coincide with a series of crises.

Last June, Khamenei was compelled into hiding following strikes that claimed the lives of several close associates and Revolutionary Guard commanders.  The June 2025 strikes by Israel and the U.S. targeted and destroyed valuable nuclear and missile facilities.

In January, massive protests by an embittered population struggling under sanctions were brutally suppressed, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Furthermore, since the Tehran-backed Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Khamenei’s influence in the region has been diminishing.

Chaos reigns as airlines cancel flights. 

Flight maps reveal virtually empty airspace over Iran Iraq Kuwait Israel and Bahrain following Israel’s strike on Iran and the US military’s subsequent strikes against targets within the country.

Around 1030 GMT airspace over Iran Iraq Kuwait and Jordan has emptied as shown in this screenshot from Flightradar24.

The closure of major Gulf airports has severely disrupted the busiest east-west transit point, leaving virtually every part of the world affected.

A Gulf airline source described the situation as a massive logistical nightmare, highlighting the stranded crews planes and passengers across the globe.

Middle Eastern airports are among the busiest worldwide, spanning from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean and acting as crucial connecting hubs for flights between Europe and Asia.

Here’s what we know about the strikes that hit Iran

Israel’s military reported that its pilots targeted hundreds of Iranian sites including strategic defence systems already damaged in previous strikes last year.  Three sites where leaders were meeting were hit simultaneously resulting in the deaths of several senior figures.

Meanwhile, President Trump stated that the strikes were intended to eliminate a security threat and prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

US CENTCOM reported forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian strikes.

CENTCOM announced on X that it had commenced strikes at 1:15 a.m. ET (0615 GMT) to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus.  These strikes targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities Iranian air defence capabilities missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

Following the initial wave of US and partner strikes CENTCOM forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

EU foreign ministers will meet on Sunday to discuss Iran

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas will convene a video call to address the issue.

In a post on X, she condemned the Iranian regime’s indiscriminate attacks on its neighbours, which she said could escalate into a wider conflict.  She stressed the importance of preventing further escalation and highlighted the Iranian regime’s choices.