DUBAI/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, March 1 - Israel said it had launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Sunday, as Iranians faced uncertainty after the killing of their supreme leader in U.S. and Israeli
Israel hits Tehran again after killing Khamenei, leadership council takes over
Escalation in the Middle East: Strikes, Retaliation, and Global Economic Impact
By Rami Ayyub, Alexander Cornwell, Nayera Abdallah and Maha El Dahan
Renewed Strikes and Immediate Aftermath
JERUSALEM/TEL AVIV/DUBAI, March 1 (Reuters) - Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran on Sunday and Iran responded with more missile barrages, a day after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pitched the Middle East and the global economy into deepening uncertainty.
U.S. and Israeli strikes - and Iranian retaliation - sent shockwaves worldwide through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Gulf region.
Hezbollah's Potential Involvement
The Israeli military said it had intercepted projectiles that were launched from Lebanon early Monday morning, in what could be the first sign of Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah, long one of Tehran's principal allies in the Middle East, entering the conflict.
U.S. Response and Trump’s Statements
U.S. President Donald Trump said the attack was intended to ensure Iran could not have a nuclear weapon, to contain its missile program and to eliminate threats to the United States and its allies. The U.S. has hit more than 1,000 Iranian targets since the start of the campaign, U.S. Central Command said.
In a video statement posted to his Truth Social site, Trump vowed military strikes will continue until "all our objectives are achieved." He said the assault had wiped out Iran's military command and destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and a naval building.
Trump said the Iranian military and police should lay down their arms, promising immunity for those who surrender and threatening "certain death" for those who resist. He reiterated calls for the Iranian people to revolt against the government.
Calls for Iranian Uprising
"I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country," Trump said in the pre-recorded video. "America is with you."
Earlier in an interview with the Atlantic magazine, Trump said Iran's leadership wanted to talk to him and he had agreed.
In a separate interview with the Daily Mail, he said the military campaign against Iran could continue for the next four weeks.
Uncertainty Over U.S. Objectives
But the Republican president is yet to lay out his longer-term aims in Iran, which faces a power vacuum that could leave it in chaos, with unforeseeable consequences for the region.
Impact on the United States and Global Economy
The first U.S. casualties of the campaign, including the deaths of three service personnel, were confirmed on Sunday.
Trump paid tribute to the three killed as "true American patriots" but warned that there will likely be more casualties.
"That's the way it is," he said.
Strait of Hormuz and Oil Supply Risks
With the vital Strait of Hormuz closed and the Gulf cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha under bombardment, the scale of the risk taken by Trump in attacking Iran months before U.S. midterm elections that will decide control of Congress is becoming clearer.
Only around one in four Americans approve of the operation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday. And if Hormuz - the passage for about 20% of world oil supplies - remains closed for more than a few days, U.S. consumers will start to feel the pressure on prices at the pumps.
Existential Challenge for Iran
Israeli Military Actions in Tehran
The Israeli military said late on Sunday that its air force had established aerial superiority over Tehran, and that a wave of strikes across the capital had targeted intelligence, security, and military command centers.
Hezbollah and Regional Escalation
But the prospect of Hezbollah involvement threatened to widen the conflict further. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Reuters was unable to verify the origins of the projectiles the Israeli military said it intercepted. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024.
Israel’s Strategy Toward Iran
Israel's present focus is to undermine the Iranian government so that it collapses, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity, adding that Israel "is acting in its own ways" to get Iranians to take to the streets.
Iran’s Retaliation and Global Shipping Disruption
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had hit three U.S. and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and attacked military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles. Shipping data showed hundreds of vessels including oil and gas tankers dropping anchor in nearby waters with traders expecting sharp jumps in crude oil prices on Monday.
Disruption to Air Travel
Global air travel was also heavily disrupted as continued air strikes kept closed major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai - the world's busiest international hub - in one of the biggest aviation interruptions in recent years.
Iranian Leadership Crisis
In Iran, facing its biggest existential challenge since the 1980-88 war with Iraq, President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader.
International Reactions and Iran’s Stance
Oman's foreign ministry said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had indicated Tehran was open to de-escalation. But in a post on X, Araqchi suggested Iran was ready to keep fighting.
"We've had two decades to study defeats of the U.S. military to our immediate east and west," he wrote. "Bombings in our capital have no impact on our ability to conduct war."
Future Prospects for Iranian Leadership
It remained unclear what the longer-term prospects were for Iran to rebuild its leadership and replace the 86-year-old Khamenei, who had held power since the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Global Leaders Condemn Khamenei’s Killing
Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Khamenei's death as a cynical murder and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi described it as "blatant killing".
Iran Hits Back
Renewed Missile Barrages
As Iran fired renewed missile barrages across the region, air raid sirens sounded across Israel late on Sunday, warning of the latest incoming attack, including in Tel Aviv, where projectiles were seen streaking across th
