Iran has responded to a large-scale attack by the US and Israel with retaliatory strikes, launching missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries hosting US military bases.
According to Iranian media, explosions were reported in several cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Qom, with footage showing smoke and flames rising from various locations.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baqaei, told the BBC that he was not in a situation to confirm anything about the health of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose compound in Tehran was reportedly destroyed.
Police Response and Timeline
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that Israel had destroyed Khamenei's compound, and there were many signs that the Supreme Leader was "no more".
President Donald Trump later stated on Truth Social that Khamenei was dead, saying he was "one of the most evil people in History" and that his death was a result of US and Israeli intelligence and tracking systems.
Casualties and Damage
A spokesman for the Iranian Red Crescent said 24 of Iran's 31 provinces had been hit in the US and Israeli strikes, with a total of 201 people killed and 747 others injured across the country as of 20:45 local time.
State media reported that at least 85 people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a primary school for girls in Minab, Hormozgan province, although this has not been verified by the BBC.
International Response
The US military's Central Command said in a statement that US and Israeli forces had begun striking targets to "dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus", with the goal of eliminating imminent threats.
The European Union's naval mission in the region, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, said that the IRGC had sent radio messages to vessels warning that "no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz" in the Gulf.
Airline Disruptions
Major airlines have diverted or cancelled flights to the Middle East, citing safety concerns, with Wizz Air suspending flights until 7 March in Israel, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and British Airways cancelling flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday.
