24 Hours of conflict in west Asia: What is confirmed so far
India Today
India Today's OSINT team answers the most-asked questions on the widening West Asia conflict, separating verified facts from speculation.
Minutes after what was initially described as a “pre-emptive” strike against Iran, turned into a full-blown escalation with the US President Donald Trump urging the Iranians to “take over your government” once the strikes concluded. Hours later, the Iranian Presidency confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
What began as coordinated attacks by the US and Israel on Iran spread like a forest fire engulfing Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The entire region of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has a significant US military presence, including air and naval bases, faced a barrage of missiles following the convergence of Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the United States. Together, these operations have pushed the Middle East into a conflict that, for now, appears to be escalating.
Amid all this, there is a massive flow of information, both confirmed and unconfirmed, as is often the case in the fog of war.India Today’s Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team uses open-source material and visual verification to present a filtered account of what has happened in the West Asian conflict over the past 24 hours. The aim is to set out, as clearly as possible, what is unfolding: which locations each side says it has targeted, how the region has responded, and which “high-value” claims remain unverified or speculative.
Donald Trump yesterday said Iran “wanted to do a deal, but did not want to do it, they just wanted to practice evil,” adding, “We cannot take it any more.”
In western Iran, Ilam was targeted, likely for its missile launch, storage, radar and air defence facilities, critical to early warning and cross border operations. Isfahan’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, Bandar Abbas’ IRGC naval and radar assets, and military nodes in Kermanshah and Tabriz also appear to have been in focus. The geographic spread suggests a calibrated attempt to degrade command, missile and defence capabilities simultaneously.
In a direct message, Trump warned that “bombs will be dropping everywhere,” and urged Iranians that “when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations.” The United States and Israel subsequently struck multiple Iranian cities marking a sharp escalation in the conflict.
Over the past week, social media has been abuzz with rumours claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in an Iranian missile strike. However, there remains no credible evidence. It coincided with his reported absence from cabinet meetings. However, Israel has released videos and images to assert that Netanyahu is alive.
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The story began with America as Iran's saviour but ended with America as its Satan. The rivalry written over decades in oil and blood is catastrophically being settled with fire that can singe the world.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Israeli ballistic missiles struck the compound soon after Mojtaba left the building, killing Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior officials and relatives.
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The newspaper, citing officials familiar with the conversations, said the Saudi leader has been in frequent contact with Trump during the conflict and encouraged him to "keep hitting the Iranians hard" as the fighting intensifies across the region.
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