U.S.-led strikes and Iranian retaliatory attacks widened across the Middle East as officials and leaders weighed the human, military and diplomatic costs. President Trump said he must be “involved” in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader and called Mojtaba Khamenei — the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son and a leading contender — “unacceptable,” telling Axios he wants a leader who will bring “harmony and peace” to Iran.
Key battlefield and diplomatic developments
– Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian vessel IRIS Bushehr after more than 200 sailors aboard sought help when one engine failed. The move followed the U.S. submarine torpedo strike that sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka, an attack U.S. officials say involved MK 48 torpedoes fired by the USS Charlotte. Sri Lanka rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies from the earlier attack.
– Israeli forces reported launching a “broad wave” of strikes on Tehran. Heavy explosions were reported in Tehran and near other Iranian sites; Israeli officials said they targeted regime infrastructure.
– The U.S. Central Command said U.S. and Israeli operations have severely degraded Iran’s ability to strike U.S. forces and partners. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the next phase targets Iran’s missile production capability to prevent rebuilding, and said B-2 bombers have dropped multiple 2,000-pound penetrator bombs on deeply buried missile launchers.
– Iran and proxies continued missile and drone strikes across the region. The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) estimated more than 1,600 drones launched by Iran at Israel, Gulf states, Jordan and Cyprus; the INSS and other sources provided broad tallies of weapons launched and casualties in multiple countries.
– Gulf states reported numerous intercepts: the UAE said it dealt with seven ballistic missiles and 131 drones in one day; Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three Iranian drones near Riyadh; Qatar reported intercepting an Iranian drone targeting Al Udeid airbase; Azerbaijan reported Iranian drones hit an airport and a school, wounding two people; Lebanon reported dozens killed and hundreds wounded in Israeli strikes; NATO boosted ballistic missile defenses after a missile headed toward Turkey was intercepted.
U.S. posture, policy and political moves
– Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Adm. Cooper briefed that the U.S. intends to “destroy” Iran’s missile industry and sustain operations as long as necessary. Hegseth said the campaign’s timeline is “ours and ours alone to control.”
– Congress failed to curb the president’s authority to continue military action without further authorization: the Senate and then the House rejected war powers resolutions aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to escalate the campaign.
– The Pentagon confirmed three MQ-9 Reaper drones were downed; at least one crashed near Iran and another was likely shot down accidentally by Qatari forces.
– The administration temporarily eased some sanctions to allow India to buy Russian oil amid surging global prices tied to the conflict.
– The Pentagon formally designated AI firm Anthropic as a supply chain risk in an escalating dispute over guardrails for military use of AI.
Regional impacts and civilian toll
– Iran’s official agencies reported mounting casualties; the Iranian Martyrs’ and Veterans’ Affairs Organization said at least 1,230 people had died from U.S. and Israeli strikes. INSS and other trackers reported significant casualties and hundreds of targets struck inside Iran, and hundreds of munitions used by U.S. and Israeli forces.
– Satellite imagery and reporting showed damage at multiple buildings near a school in Minab that Iran says was hit, with questions about whether military facilities in the compound were targeted.
– The U.N. maritime agency said roughly 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise passengers were stranded in the Gulf. Airspace closures stranded thousands; some airlines and airports in the region began limited resumptions, including Etihad, Emirates, Abu Dhabi and Israel allowing limited incoming flights.
– Humanitarian and evacuation efforts: the U.S. State Department said it had assisted over 10,000 Americans with travel guidance and nearly 20,000 have returned to the U.S. since the war began. Charter flights and relief evacuations were underway; Qatar Airways and other carriers announced limited relief flights.
Security and allied responses
– NATO increased its Allied ballistic missile defense posture; several European countries dispatched naval assets to Cyprus in response to strikes around the British base at Akrotiri.
– Regional partners reported shortages of interceptors to counter Iranian missiles and drones, and requested expedited resupply from the U.S. Ukraine announced it would send drone experts to help Gulf states counter Shahed-type drones, drawing on experience defending against similar systems.
– Gulf countries reported arrests of suspected Iranian agents plotting sabotage or intelligence operations.
Iranian and allied rhetoric
– Iranian commanders vowed continued and intensifying attacks. State media and senior clerics gave belligerent statements including calls for retribution; Iran’s leadership council met to discuss convening the Assembly of Experts to select a new supreme leader amid reported attacks on buildings associated with the Assembly.
– Iranian officials blame Israel for various regional incidents; Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran was confident it could withstand a ground invasion and denied seeking a ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel.
Other notable incidents
– The U.S. evacuated or suspended operations at some diplomatic posts: the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait suspended operations and U.S. personnel were ordered to evacuate; the Kuwait embassy later was ordered to destroy sensitive materials during an evacuation.
– The U.S. military said it had destroyed dozens of Iranian naval vessels, including a large drone carrier.
– Reports emerged that smaller Iranian quadcopter drones surveilled areas where U.S. troops were moving in the days before Iranian strikes that killed six U.S. service members in Kuwait.
– Political reactions abroad included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressing continued intelligence cooperation with the U.S.; Israel’s president defended the strikes as necessary; Azerbaijan threatened potential retaliation after strikes on its territory.
Succession in Iran
– Iran’s Assembly of Experts — an 88-member clerical body constitutionally responsible for selecting the supreme leader — has been discussed as preparing to meet. The leading succession name reported is Mojtaba Khamenei, who has wielded influence behind the scenes, particularly with the IRGC; U.S. and Israeli operations that targeted Iranian leadership have put the succession question at the center of diplomatic calculations. President Trump said U.S. involvement will shape the outcome, warning against simply replacing one hardline leader with another.
Outlook
– U.S. and Israeli officials describe operations as degrading Iran’s military capacity, focusing next on production facilities. Iranian leaders and commanders vow continued resistance and retaliation. The conflict has widened geographically, strained regional defenses and supply stocks, complicated global energy markets, and raised urgent diplomatic, military and humanitarian challenges.