U.S., Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leadership after Khamenei’s death

U.S. and Israel intensify strikes on Iran following Khamenei's death, escalating conflict as Trump signals willingness to engage.

The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday (March 1, 2026), dropping massive bombs on the country's ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Blasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes, according to Iranian leaders.

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As the bombardment went on, the conflict threatened to widen beyond the U.S., Israel and Iran. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed strikes on Israel, which fired back, and Gulf states warned that they could retaliate against Iran after strikes that hit key sites and killed at least five civilians. Meanwhile, European powers offered to help American forces in their effort to stop Iran from attacking other countries.

Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive that killed three U.S. service members — the first known American casualties from the conflict. Israeli rescue services said strikes hit several locations, including Jerusalem and a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 injured, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11.

The attacks on Iran showed no signs of relenting as the U.S. and Israel took aim at warships and ballistic missile sites. It was a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and pledged to keep out of “forever wars."