Khamenei killing, Iran's retaliation push Middle East to brink of all-out war
India Today
The US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader have triggered Tehran's missile retaliation across the region, sharply escalating hostilities and raising fears of a wider Middle East war.
The Middle East remained on edge for a second straight day on Sunday after the United States and Israel launched what they described as a "precise and large-scale operation" across Iran, killing its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several of his family members.
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Multiple explosions rocked Tehran as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in the capital. Powerful blasts were reported across the heart of the city, with videos showing thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
Officials said Khamenei was hit in a "heavy and pinpoint bombing", adding that the elimination of the leader of the "terror axis" marked the end of a "decades-long chapter".
According to reports, the Israel Defence Force (IDF), based on intelligence inputs, dropped as many as 30 bombs on the complex where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, Minister of Defence Amir Naserzadeh, and the Commander-in-Chief, Mohammad Pakpour gathered for a joint meeting on Saturday. All of them were killed in military operation.
Iranian leadership confirmed Khamenei's death early on Sunday. US President Donald Trump announced the same hours earlier, saying the development gave Iranians their "greatest chance" to "take back" their country.
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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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