Top Iranian leaders ‘killed’ in US and Israel’s blitz as Ayatollah’s fate unknown

Two senior Iranian commanders are reported to have been killed in a wave of US-Israeli airstrikes targeting key figures and facilities in Tehran, as uncertainty surrounds the fate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Sources cited in regional media claim Iran’s defence minister, Amir Nasirzadeh, and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpour were among those killed in the strikes. There is also speculation about the status of other high-ranking officials, though Iranian authorities have not formally confirmed the deaths.

Satellite imagery circulating online appears to show significant damage to parts of a government compound in Tehran believed to be linked to Khamenei’s official offices. His current whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, acknowledged losses among senior personnel but downplayed the impact. “We may have lost a few commanders, but that’s not such a big problem,” he told NBC, without confirming specific names.

The strikes followed escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional activities. In a televised address, US President Donald Trump said the objective was to defend American interests by “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

“For 47 years, Iran’s regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,” Trump said. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated.” He also issued a warning to Iran’s leadership to “lay down arms” or “face certain death.”

Within hours of the strikes, Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks targeting Israel and multiple US military installations across the Gulf region, including bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Missile interceptions were reported in several countries, and airspace closures disrupted civilian flights.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising near US facilities, including the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Regional officials described the attacks as among the most serious directed at American assets in the Middle East.

Iran has long rejected US demands to halt uranium enrichment and scale back its ballistic missile programme, insisting its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. Indirect diplomatic talks had been ongoing, mediated by Oman, but appeared to falter before the latest escalation.

With both sides exchanging strikes and rhetoric intensifying, fears are growing that the confrontation could expand into a broader regional conflict.