Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others killed in strike

U.S. Central Command initiated Operation Epic Fury using B-2 Spirit bombers to strike underground ballistic missile sites and other regime targets in Iran, while the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Tehran, Tabriz, and IRGC sites, reportedly killing senior leaders including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded during the operations. Iran’s IRGC claimed retaliatory missile strikes on the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, denied by U.S. Central Command.

The assault, dubbed “Roar of the Lion” by Israel, marks the most significant US military action since 2003, prompting Iranian retaliation with strikes killing civilians in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi, and reports of 201 Iranian deaths including a school bombing.

Fox News also reports the death of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a Tehran strike, corroborated by Iranian state media and outlets like The Telegraph and Israel Hayom, marking a significant escalation in US-Israeli operations against Iran.

Ahmadinejad, who led Iran from 2005 to 2013, was notorious for Holocaust denial and nuclear defiance, symbolizing hardline resistance; his targeted killing highlights intelligence precision amid broader regional hostilities.

The incident unfolds during a second wave of strikes, with Iranian officials vowing revenge, risking further instability in the Middle East where proxy conflicts have already displaced millions per UN data.