Saudi Arabia Summons Iranian Envoy Over Attacks On Gulf States
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry says it has summoned the Iranian ambassador to Riyadh, Alireza Enayati, over Tehran's targeting of states around the Persian Gulf.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the blatant Iranian aggression against the Sultanate of Oman and Iran’s flagrant violation of its sovereignty, affirming the Kingdom’s full solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman," the ministry said in a statement.
Dozens Of Oil Tankers Halted In Persian Gulf
Dozens of oil tankers have stopped moving in the waters of the Persian Gulf, Reuters reports.
Citing the Marine Traffic monitoring website, the news agency said “at least 150 tankers,” including crude oil and liquefied natural gas carriers, have anchored near the Strait of Hormuz and are not moving.
Following the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, the naval force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned that it would prevent ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Reuters, the tankers are anchored near major crude oil and gas producers such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
UNICEF 'Deeply Concerned' Over Reported School Strike In Iran
The United Nations children’s agency says it is “deeply concerned” by reports of attacks in Iran, including on schools, stressing that targeting educational facilities is prohibited under international law.
UNICEF called for an immediate halt to hostilities and emphasized that “targeting civilians and civilian objects, including schools, is a violation of international law.”
The statement followed unconfirmed reports that a girls’ school in Minab in the southern Hormozgan Province was struck during the first day of Israeli and US attacks on Iran.
Initial official Iranian estimates put the death toll at 53, but provincial authorities later raised the figure to 108, according to the Minab prosecutor.
Who's In Charge In Iran Now?
Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary new leadership council was being set up after the US and Israeli air strikes had killed the country's spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, along with several senior figures.
Alireza Arafi, a longstanding senior figure in Iran's clerical establishment, was later appointed to the council as Khamenei's interim replacement. He sits alongside President Masud Pezeshkian and hard-line judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei.
The three-man board will lead Iran until the country's Assembly of Experts can gather to elect a new supreme leader.
Crowds Topple Statue Of Ayatollah Khomeini
Crowds in the Iranian town of Galleh Dar have toppled a monument dedicated to the Islamic republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as flames rose from the roundabout and onlookers cheered.
The death of Khamenei -- who succeeded Khomeini in 1989 -- has exposed a deep fault line in a country stunned by the sudden demise of the man who ruled for 36 years. (Video posted on X by Reuters)
Amid official mourning and protests across Iran and neighboring countries following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes, some Iranians both inside the country and abroad have been celebrating the news.
Iranians Celebrate And Mourn Khamenei’s Death
Putin Says Killing Of Khamenei A 'Cynical Violation' Of International Law
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli air strikes a "cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law."
In a telegram to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian and posted on the Kremlin's website on March 1, a day after the Iranian leader was killed, Putin expressed his "deepest condolences" over the "assassination" of Khamenei and several of his family members to the "entire people of Iran."
Putin -- whose country has deepened military and strategic ties with Iran in recent years -- has himself faced accusations of breaching international law over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Here's a summary of the key regime officials who have been killed in the US-Israeli strikes.
NYT: CIA Tracked Khamenei For Months
According to The New York Times, US intelligence officials said the CIA tracked Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s movements for months and ultimately identified a rare gathering of senior Iranian officials at a Tehran leadership compound that could be used as a "window of opportunity."
This “high-fidelity” intelligence was shared with Israeli counterparts shortly before the joint US–Israeli strike, allowing the timing of the operation to be adjusted so that it struck when Khamenei and other leaders were present -- resulting in his death and those of other key regime officials.
Here's the latest roundup of what's happening from our news desk:
Israel, Iran Launch New Strikes After Death Of Khamenei
Following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel continued to pound sites in Iran on the second day of a massive joint attack by Tel Aviv and Washington on the Islamic republic, while Tehran fired back in retaliation.
There was no official word early on March 1 of further US air strikes, but President Donald Trump said Washington would hit Iran with "a force that has never been seen before" if it stepped up its military action.
Earlier, Trump had said "heavy and pinpoint bombing" would continue through the week or longer.
US defense chief Pete Hegseth wrote on X that the "Iranian regime had their chance, yet refused to make a deal — and now they are suffering the consequences."
The strikes set the region on edge as air raid sirens wailed in across the Middle East amid retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Israel and on Arab countries hosting US military assets.
Attack On US Consulate In Karachi
Seven people were killed when a crowd of students attempted to storm the US consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. The deaths occurred after reports of gunfire between law enforcement and members of the Imamia Students Organization (ISO), linked to Shi'a political parties.
Video shot shortly after the incident by a reporter from RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal showed a building in flames, a charred motorcycle, and the heavy presence of Pakistani security forces.
Clashes were also reported near the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, while the US Embassy in Muscat, Oman, instructed staff in the country to "shelter in place" due to unspecified "ongoing activity" outside the capital. A drone attack on an Omani port was also reported.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted that "for the 20th time in the last 24 hours, millions of Israelis run to shelter across Israel under Iranian missile fire."
Loud blasts were heard in Dubai and the Qatari capital, Doha, for a second day, after Iranian state media announced that strikes were being carried out in retaliation for Khamenei's death.
Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary new leadership council was being set up after the US and Israeli air strikes had killed several senior figures as well as Khamenei.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on February 28.
Iranian state media confirmed the death of Khamenei after earlier making several denials that the 86-year-old was dead.
Early on March 1, Iran's Fars News Agency -- which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also reported that members of Khamenei's extended family were killed in Israeli attacks.
State media also confirmed the death of top Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani and Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC.
Celebrations were reported in several cities -- including Tehran, Karaj, Shahavar, and Isfahan.
Unverified videos showed celebrations in Shiraz and Abdanan, with car horns blaring and people carrying photos of some of the thousands of protesters killed in the January crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.
AFP also reported that there were pro-Khemenei actions as well, with thousands of people gathering on March 1 in a Tehran square to mourn.
A Major Blow To Regime
Khamenei's death represents a major blow to the country’s embattled leadership.
Khamenei had held near-dictatorial powers over Iran since becoming the supreme leader in 1989 after the death of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
As supreme leader, the hard-line Khamenei was a vocal opponent of moves by any potential moderate leaders to repair relations with the West. He was also a symbol of hatred by many inside Iran who were angered by the repression of the theocratic regime in Tehran.
Israel's military said it hit multiple areas in the capital where top officials had gathered and also struck Iranian missile-launcher sites -- 500 targets in all with some 200 fighter jets taking part in the first waves.
Early on March 1, Israel's military said it completed another round on air strikes targeting ballistic-missile and air-defense sites in central and western Iran. Details weren't immediately available. Explosions were also reported in Tehran in the morning hours.
Iran's Mizan news agency, which is tied to Iran's judiciary, said 108 people died in a strike on a girls school in Minab, blaming Israel.
Western journalists were not allowed access to the site and the claim could not be verified.