The US-Iran situation has escalated sharply, with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four relatives killed; both sides vow to continue strikes and counter-strikes.

BlockBeats News, March 1st, Latest Update: Iranian state media reports that Supreme Leader Khamenei has been assassinated.

Yesterday, Trump announced that the U.S. and Israel jointly launched a "major military operation" against Iran, targeting the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities, missile capabilities, naval forces, and promoting regime change.

Trump has posted multiple times on Truth Social, claiming that Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in the attack, calling it the "best opportunity for the Iranian people to reclaim their country," and urging the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the regime. He stated that the bombing would "continue non-stop for a week or longer if necessary." Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed "many signs" indicating that Khamenei is "no longer among the living" and stated that the operation targeted the Iranian leadership, missiles, and air defense systems. This morning, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a new round of strikes against Iran's ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems.

Iranian officials are staunchly denying Khamenei's death, stating that he is "safe and commanding the battlefield," and accusing the U.S. and Israel of spreading "psychological warfare." Iranian state media reported that Khamenei is "firmly commanding." The attack resulted in significant casualties in Iran: the Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 201 deaths and over 700 injuries; some reports mentioned that a primary school was hit, resulting in the deaths of dozens of students, with the total casualties close to a thousand. The attack covered 24 provinces in Iran, including near the Tehran presidential palace and Khamenei's residence.

According to sources close to the Supreme Leader's residence, it has been confirmed that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter have died. It was also revealed that one of Khamenei's daughters-in-law died in the attack on the morning of the 28th.

Iran swiftly retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones targeting Israeli territory and U.S. military bases in the Middle East (including the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, among others). The attack resulted in at least one death in Abu Dhabi; Israel reported intercepting most missiles, but some casualties were caused by missile fragments. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard declared "unrestricted, no red lines" retaliation and announced the closure of the Hormuz Strait (a critical oil passage), which could further impact the global energy market.

The conflict is still ongoing, with the U.S. and Israel stating they will continue the strikes, and Iran vowing a "devastating response." The situation is highly unstable, with a risk of further escalation. At the time of writing, Israeli emergency services reported that on the first day of the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran, 121 people in Israel were injured, with one person reported dead earlier by the emergency services.