erusalem/Tehran, March 1 (ANI): The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said it carried out a series of precision airstrikes on military targets across Iran, claiming to have eliminated seven senior Iranian defence officials in what it described as a major blow to Tehran’s leadership.
In a post on X, the IAF stated that its fighter jets struck key military installations, killing senior members of Iran’s defence establishment, including Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Pakpour, Saleh Asadi, Mohammad Shirazi, Aziz Nasirzadeh, Hossein Jabal Amelian, and Reza Mozaffari-Nia. “The world is a better place without them,” the post read.
Iran has not yet officially confirmed the deaths of the officials named by Israel.
Shortly after the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that missiles were launched from Iran toward Israeli territory. “Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said, adding that the Home Front Command had issued alerts instructing residents in affected areas to enter protected spaces and remain there until further notice.
“In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command issued a preliminary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas. The public is requested to exercise responsibility and act in accordance with the instructions — they save lives,” the IAF said in another post.
The IDF also announced that it had completed an additional wave of strikes targeting Iran’s ballistic missile array and air defence systems in central parts of the country.
On Saturday, the United States and Israel reportedly carried out joint missile attacks on Iran, with large explosions heard in Tehran and other major cities, marking a sharp escalation that risks widening tensions into a broader regional conflict. Iran has since retaliated, targeting Israeli and US assets in multiple Gulf states.
Amid the escalating conflict, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the fate of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. According to The Jerusalem Post, senior Israeli officials were informed that Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran and that his body was found under the rubble. However, Iranian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the claim.
The The Times of Israel, citing Iranian state media, reported that Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were killed in Israeli-US strikes. There has been no official word from Tehran on Khamenei’s status.
International media outlets, including CNN and Fox News, reported scenes of celebration in several Iranian cities. According to CNN, crowds were heard chanting slogans such as “Death to the Islamic Republic” and “Long live the Shah.” Fox News shared video footage purportedly showing residents celebrating in Besat Town, a suburb of Karaj.
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy posted a video on X showing women dancing in the streets without head coverings, saying the celebrations followed reports of Khamenei’s death.
Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad also shared videos online, describing the scenes as unprecedented. In one message, she said it was the first morning she had woken to what she described as “good news” regarding the Iranian leadership.
Reports from London indicated that expatriate Iranians and Israelis were seen celebrating together in the streets.
Meanwhile, exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to unite and support a “stable transition to a free and prosperous future.” In a post on X, he said that any attempt by the regime to appoint a successor to Khamenei would be “doomed to fail,” urging security forces to join the nation in ensuring a peaceful transition.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed Khamenei’s death in a post on Truth Social, calling it “justice for the people of Iran” and stating that military operations would continue “as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East.”
As of now, no official confirmation has been issued by Iranian authorities regarding Khamenei’s reported death. Questions remain over whether the Iranian leadership will appoint a successor and whether the developments will bring an end to the escalating conflict in West Asia. (ANI)
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