U.S. and Israeli forces expanded Operation Epic Fury with strikes on IRGC leadership, nuclear facilities near Tehran, and military sites, reportedly killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alongside multiple commanders. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE, with most intercepted by U.S. defenses. Pakistan intensified airstrikes on Taliban positions in Kabul and Kandahar, sustaining its declaration of open war.
U.S. and Israeli aircraft conducted precision strikes under Operation Epic Fury, hitting IRGC command centers, nuclear-related sites near Tehran, and other military infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of high-ranking IRGC commanders and, according to senior Israeli officials, Supreme Leader Khamenei, whose body was reportedly recovered from rubble. Iran launched immediate counterstrikes with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at Israeli population centers and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and other Gulf locations; U.S. forces successfully intercepted the majority, though some impacts were reported. Concurrently, Pakistani warplanes bombed Taliban government targets in Kabul and Kandahar, with Islamabad claiming over 300 enemy casualties amid cross-border clashes.
These decapitation strikes risk destabilizing Iran's command structure, potentially spurring internal power struggles or proxy escalations via Hezbollah and Houthis, while Gulf state base attacks heighten regional spillover risks involving Saudi Arabia and others. Pakistan's open incursion into Afghan sovereign territory threatens to widen South Asian conflict, drawing in militant groups like TTP and complicating U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
Likely next steps include further Iranian missile salvos or proxy activations; intelligence gaps persist on Khamenei's confirmed status, Iranian succession dynamics, and Taliban mobilization capabilities.
