Iran vows revenge for Khamenei killing “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg”
Dubai: Iran vowed revenge on Sunday after the killing of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, confirmed by state officials and US President Donald Trump, traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by a surprise US and Israeli bombardment, and rained missiles on other Gulf nations. The US military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casual ties from the conflict. In Israel, nine people died in the city of Beit Shemesh in an Iranian missile strike. Other Gulf nations began counting their dead from Iranian retaliatory strikes while Israel pledged "non stop" strikes against Iran. Iranian authorities said more than 200 people had been killed since the start of the strikes, including six senior officials apart from Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran formed a new governing council comprising senior cleric Ayatollah Aoreza Arafi, Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian and Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei, head of the judiciary. A senior US official said that “new potential leadership" in Iran has suggested they are open for talks with the US. Tehran attacked the UAE but said it is attacking US bases located in those countries.
An Oman port and an oil tanker off its coast were attacked Sunday, official media said, marking the first strikes on the sultanate -- which mediated US-Iran talks -- since Tehran launched a retaliation campaign.
Iran's continued Gulf bombardment has raised fears of a wider conflict and rattled a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East.
"A security source reported that the commercial port of Duqm was targeted by two drones," the Oman News Agency said in a social media post.
"One drone struck a mobile workers' accommodation, injuring one foreign worker, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, causing no casualties or material damage," it added.
Shortly after, Oman said an oil tanker was targeted off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the news agency reported.
What to know so far:
- How we got here: The joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, which officials say was planned for months, followed unsuccessful negotiations about Iran’s nuclear program and warnings from Trump. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and targeting U.S. military installations in the region.
- Arafi to lead temporarily: Alireza Arafi was appointed on Sunday as the jurist member of Iran’s Leadership Council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader’s role until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader, Reuters report said citing ISNA news agency.
- Violence in Pakistan: At least six people have been killed in Karachi after protesters stormed the US Consulate in response to the killing of Khamenei. Local authorities report the situation is currently under “control” but remains volatile.
- Regional retaliation: Iran has launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes. Explosions have been reported for a second consecutive day in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
- Humanitarian toll: The Iranian Red Crescent reports over 201 fatalities nationwide, including a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran with at least 85 feared dead.
- Airport Disruptions in Gulf: Major flight cancellations reported at Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai airports due to ongoing drone activity and interceptions by Saudi and Jordanian defences.
- Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister killed in airstrike: Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister were killed in an airstrike targeting a meeting of the country’s defense council, Iranian state television reported Sunday.
Live Updates
- 28 Feb 2026 2:50 PM IST
Iran ballistic missile hits US naval base in #Bahrain; Israel launches more missiles
- 28 Feb 2026 2:46 PM IST
Following the launch of Operation “Roaring Lion,” the Israel Police has prepared for all scenarios and has deployed significant forces across the field.
We call on the public to remain attentive and strictly follow official instructions. Do not approach missile impact sites or areas of destruction, and allow police and emergency forces to carry out life-saving operations without interference.
In any unusual or emergency situation, report immediately to the police emergency hotline 100. For information, contact the police information center at 110.
- 28 Feb 2026 2:38 PM IST
The Pentagon on Saturday has dubbed the US combat operations over Iran as "Operation Epic Fury."
The formal title, announced via a social media post, formalises the combat operations over Iran as a major US military operation.
The Trump administration similarly formalised last year's strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as "Operation Midnight Hammer" and his strike to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year as "Operation Absolute Resolve
- 28 Feb 2026 2:33 PM IST
Explosions heard in northern Israel as the country works to intercept incoming Iranian missiles after launching a nationwide attack with U.S. on Iran.
- 28 Feb 2026 2:27 PM IST
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced the launch of a joint military operation with the United States against Iran, describing it as a decisive step to eliminate what he termed an “existential threat” posed by the Iranian regime.
Addressing the nation, Netanyahu said the operation—named “Operation Roaring Lion”—aims to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. He thanked former US President Donald Trump for his “historic leadership” and support.
Netanyahu accused Iran’s leadership of fuelling regional instability, supporting terrorism, and threatening both Israel and the United States for decades. He asserted that the action was necessary to safeguard Israel’s security and protect global stability.
The Prime Minister also called on various ethnic groups within Iran to “rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny” and work towards a “free and peace-seeking Iran.”
Urging calm at home, Netanyahu appealed to Israeli citizens to strictly adhere to the directives of the Home Front Command, warning that the coming days would require “patience and fortitude.”
Further details about the scale and scope of the operation were not immediately disclosed.
- 28 Feb 2026 2:17 PM IST
Israel Defense Forces say missiles were identified from Iran, interception systems deployed; Home Front Command issues precautionary mobile alerts in affected areas.
- 28 Feb 2026 1:50 PM IST
Trump acknowledges that there could be American casualties following Iran strikes, saying 'that often happens in war.'
- 28 Feb 2026 1:46 PM IST
Israeli strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State television acknowledged an explosion in the area of the offices.
