Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was martyred on Saturday in coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel, Iran’s official state news agency and government sources announced Sunday morning.
Tehran’s announcement confirmed the death of Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic since 1989, along with several family members. The U.S. and Israeli governments also acknowledged the killing, with both officials framing it as a crippling blow to Iran’s leadership.
President Donald Trump declared “Operation Epic Fury” a decisive strike against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, claiming that “most of Iran’s decision-makers have been eliminated.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that the death of Iran’s top leader would “reshape the region.”
Rapid escalation
Following the initial strikes on Tehran and other strategic sites inside Iran, reportedly killing over 200 Iranians including women and children and injuring hundreds more, Iran’s military unleashed a sweeping wave of missile and drone attacks against U.S. bases and allied nations across the Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian forces targeted key military installations and civilian infrastructure, prompting air defense responses from Gulf states. In Abu Dhabi, missile debris struck residential areas and killed a Pakistani national, officials in Pakistan and the U.A.E. confirmed. Diplomatic sources said authorities were coordinating on investigation and repatriation procedures.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had spoken with U.A.E. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to convey Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the dangerous regional escalation following the Israeli attack on Iran and the regrettable strikes against the U.A.E. and other Gulf countries.
“I expressed my deep sorrow over the tragic loss of a Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the U.A.E., and we will always stand by our Emirati brothers and sisters in these difficult times,” he wrote on X.
The prime minister also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with the PMO saying the premier had condemned the serious regional escalation that had taken place due to the Israeli attack on Iran, followed by the regrettable attacks on other Gulf countries.
While assuring the Saudi leadership of Pakistan’s full solidarity and support in the current situation, the prime minister said that Pakistan would always stand with its Saudi brothers and sisters, at all times to come, and under all circumstances. He said Pakistan was ready to play a constructive role at this difficult time and prayed that the blessings of the holy month of Ramzan would bring peace to the region at the earliest, the statement added.
Chaos in the skies
Across the Gulf, explosions and air defense sirens were widely reported as Iranian projectiles crossed international borders. Civil defense authorities in Bahrain said attacks damaged residential buildings, while Kuwait and Qatar reported successfully intercepting inbound missiles.
The violence has inflicted civilian casualties and destruction far beyond military targets, marking one of the widest regional escalations in years.
The ongoing conflict has paralyzed air travel across the Middle East. Major hubs such as Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s airports suspended all operations, halting, rerouting, or canceling commercial fights amid safety concerns and airspace closures.
Iran, the U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq have implemented regional airspace closures, resulting in significant delays that have stranded thousands of passengers worldwide. Routes that typically traverse Iranian airspace have been rerouted via more circuitous corridors, adding hours to intercontinental flights between Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In a move with potentially global economic consequences, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital oil export routes, warning that no vessel would be permitted to transit amid the conflict. This chokepoint normally handles roughly a fifth of global crude shipments. While the legality and enforceability of the closure are debated, traders and governments are already pricing in major disruptions to energy markets.
In its most strident statement yet, Tehran has warned of further escalation if U.S. and Israeli forces continue their strikes. Iranian military spokespeople vowed that the country’s response would be “relentless” and that all U.S. and Israeli assets in the region remain within reach. The Revolutionary Guard described the initial strikes on Iranian soil as “war crimes” and said the conflict may broaden if foreign forces do not cease operations immediately.