Two senior Iranian commanders have reportedly been killed in a series of US-Israeli airstrikes targeting strategic sites and key officials in Tehran, amid uncertainty over the whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Regional media reports claim that Iran’s Defence Minister, Amir Nasirzadeh, and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpour were among those killed. There has also been speculation about other senior figures, though Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the reported deaths.
Satellite images circulating online appear to show extensive damage to sections of a government compound in Tehran believed to house offices linked to Khamenei. His current location has not been disclosed publicly.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, acknowledged that senior personnel were lost in the strikes but sought to minimize the impact. “We may have lost a few commanders, but that’s not such a big problem,” he told NBC, without naming those affected.
The strikes followed weeks of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional activities. In a televised address, US President Donald Trump said the operation aimed to protect American interests by “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
“For 47 years, Iran’s regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,” Trump said. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated.” He also warned Iran’s leadership to “lay down arms” or “face certain death.”
Within hours, Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and several US military installations across the Gulf, including bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Missile interceptions were reported in multiple locations, and airspace closures disrupted civilian flights.
Smoke was seen rising near US facilities, including the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Regional officials described the attacks as among the most serious directed at American assets in the Middle East in recent years.
Iran has consistently rejected US demands to halt uranium enrichment and curb its ballistic missile programme, maintaining that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Indirect talks, reportedly mediated by Oman, had been underway but appeared to stall before the latest escalation.
As both sides continue exchanging strikes and rhetoric intensifies, concerns are mounting that the confrontation could spiral into a broader regional conflict.
