Iran held funeral proceedings for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday while naming a three-man interim Leadership Council as the region entered a second day of intense conflict with the United States and Israel.
Interim leadership
Iran’s state media said a Leadership Council will temporarily assume the supreme leader’s duties until the Assembly of Experts names a successor. Reuters and state-run ISNA reported Alireza Arafi, a senior member of the Guardian Council, was added to the council alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeibe. Pezeshkian, one of the few senior officials to survive the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes, vowed “blood and revenge” against those responsible and said Iran would retaliate “with all its might.”
Funeral and domestic reactions
Crowds gathered in Tehran ahead of Khamenei’s funeral at the University of Tehran. Observers reported both celebrations and anti-U.S. protests in Iran: some cities saw people cheering Saturday after news of Khamenei’s death, while others held demonstrations demanding vengeance or decrying the war. Protests and clashes also erupted abroad, including attempts to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad and demonstrations in Karachi and Kashmir.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes and regional impacts
Iran launched sustained missile and drone strikes across the Persian Gulf and at U.S. and Israeli targets. State media claimed strikes on U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf and northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Explosions were reported or heard in multiple Gulf cities — Dubai, Doha, Manama — and later in Riyadh.
Oman reported the first suspected Iranian strikes on its territory: the Duqm commercial port was struck by two drones, injuring one foreign worker after one hit a workers’ accommodation and debris from another fell near fuel tanks. Omani authorities also said an oil tanker was hit off the coast; its crew was evacuated and four crew members were injured. Online videos showed the tanker ablaze and sinking.
Israel and U.S. operations
The Israel Defense Forces said for the first time since the campaign began it had struck targets “in the heart of Tehran” and earlier announced it had destroyed roughly half of Iran’s missile stockpiles and disrupted production. Israel’s military also said it had killed multiple senior Iranian officials during the initial strikes. U.S. Central Command said it was investigating reports of civilian harm amid ongoing operations and stressed efforts to minimize unintended civilian casualties.
Contested reports of civilian hits
Iranian authorities claimed a girl’s elementary school in Minab was hit, with reports of more than 100 killed, including students. Israeli military spokespeople said they were “not aware” of any U.S. or Israeli strike hitting that school and emphasized precision in operations. CENTCOM said it was aware of civilian harm reports and was investigating.
International reactions and diplomacy
– The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Khamenei’s death was a defining moment and suggested an open path for Iran’s people to shape their future; she said the EU was coordinating with regional partners to seek de-escalation.
– Pope Leo XIV appealed to parties to stop the “spiral of violence” and assume moral responsibility to avoid a tragedy of enormous proportions.
– Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Khamenei’s killing as a “cynical violation” of morality and international law and sent condolences to Iran’s interim leadership. Russia requested a special International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting in Vienna on Monday to discuss U.S. and Israeli strikes.
– North Korea denounced the U.S.-Israel assault as an “illegal act of aggression.”
Regional and militant responses
Lebanon’s Hezbollah vowed to “confront the aggression” of the U.S. and Israel. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim agency reported that Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa calling for jihad against America and Israel to avenge Khamenei’s killing. Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned of devastating blows in response.
Security measures and warnings
– The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain said personnel were being moved out of hotels in Manama after a hotel was reportedly struck; it advised U.S. citizens to avoid hotels there.
– The U.S. Embassy in Oman warned staff and Americans in Muscat to shelter in place due to ongoing activity.
– Britain’s defense secretary, John Healey, said two ballistic missiles had been fired “in the direction of Cyprus,” noting British bases and personnel in the region were at risk, though it was not believed the missiles were targeted at Cyprus.
Leaders and lawmakers
– U.S. President Trump warned on social media that if Iran strikes “very hard” the U.S. would respond with unprecedented force and said heavy, pinpoint bombing would continue as long as necessary. Republicans in Congress, including Sen. Tom Cotton, reiterated there were no plans for a large-scale U.S. ground invasion of Iran and described continuing air and naval campaigns and efforts to rescue downed pilots if needed.
– U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford said strikes would likely continue, especially to degrade remaining missile launch capabilities, and suggested the conditions might be “ripe” for regime change.
Military and intelligence developments
Satellite imagery showed heavy damage at Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, with black smoke and what appeared to be major destruction. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced plans for what state media described as the most ferocious offensive in its history targeting U.S. bases and Israel. Israel claimed it had prevented Iran from producing at least 1,500 additional missiles by destroying production capabilities.
International institutions and oversight
The IAEA will hold a special Board of Governors meeting at Russia’s request to discuss the military strikes on Iran and the implications for nuclear oversight. IAEA director general Rafael Grossi had recently noted much of Iran’s nuclear material remained despite earlier strikes.
Civilian harm, displacement and uncertainty
Reports of injuries and damage have come from multiple countries in the region. The strikes and retaliatory attacks have heightened fears of an expanded regional war and raised deep uncertainty about the political future of Iran, possible power vacuums, and the prospects for escalation. Analysts warned of significant risks: some said the violence could open an opportunity for civil society change in Iran, while others warned hardline elements could consolidate control, prolonging conflict and instability.
Ongoing live developments
Events remain fluid: claims and counterclaims about targets, casualties and responsibility are continuing to emerge from Iran, the U.S., Israel and regional governments. International leaders called for restraint, while Iran and allied groups vowed retaliation and the U.S. and Israel signaled further military actions could follow. The situation continues to evolve as funeral rites proceed in Tehran and the interim council assumes control pending the Assembly of Experts’ decision on a successor.