Operation Roaring Lion: 900 US Strikes in 12 Hours — All About the US-Israel Attack on Iran That Killed Khamenei

900 Strikes in 12 Hours: The US-Israel Operation Roaring Lion That Killed Iran’s Khamenei

In the most seismic military action in decades, a joint American-Israeli assault has killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and reshaped the Middle East overnight.

History rarely arrives with a warning. On the morning of February 28, 2026, the world woke to a transformed Middle East. A joint US-Israeli military operation, later named Operation Roaring Lion, had struck Tehran — killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had held Iran’s theocratic state in an iron grip for 36 years. In the first 12 hours alone, the US military carried out nearly 900 strikes from land, air and sea, including drones, while simultaneously defending against hundreds of incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. The scale was staggering. The consequences remain unclear.

Iranian state media, after hours of denial, confirmed Khamenei was killed at his office compound — Beit Rahbari — in Tehran. The government announced 40 days of public mourning. Within hours, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged revenge and claimed to have launched retaliatory strikes against 27 US military bases across the Middle East, as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv.

By the Numbers: Operation Roaring Lion

• 900 US Strikes: In the first 12 hours — from land, air, sea and drones
• 300 Iranian Missiles Fired: As of Saturday afternoon; Iran holds 4,000+ total in reserve
• 27 US Bases Targeted: IRGC claims strikes on US positions across the Middle East
• 40 Days of Mourning: Declared by the Iranian government after Khamenei’s death

Timeline of a Seismic Day

Who Was Killed & Who Is Now in Charge

Beyond Khamenei, the strikes also killed his daughter, son-in-law and grandson, according to Iranian semi-official news agency Fars. Senior IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour and Ali Shamkhani — a towering figure in Iranian security politics for decades — were also confirmed killed, per state-affiliated IRNA. The scale of leadership loss in a single day was without modern precedent in Iran’s history.

Iran’s constitution provides that in the event of the Supreme Leader’s death, executive control passes temporarily to a council comprising the President, the head of the judiciary, and a cleric from the Guardian Council. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB confirmed that President Masoud Pezeshkian is currently leading the country in that caretaker capacity.

“Today’s strikes are the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country.”

— US President Donald Trump, February 28, 2026

Iran’s Retaliation & Regional Fallout

Iran’s response was swift and wide. The IRGC claimed strikes on 27 US bases in the Middle East and Israeli military sites in Tel Aviv. At least one missile hit the Tel Aviv area, injuring seven people and damaging apartment buildings. Explosions were also reported in Qatar and the UAE. Commercial airspace across the region was thrown into chaos, with Kuwait International and other airports closing or diverting flights.

Iran struck a radar dome and an empty warehouse at the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. However, a US defense official characterised Iran’s offensive capabilities as significantly degraded — asserting that Tehran “doesn’t have the capability to attack its neighbors: no drones, no missiles, no navy” following the operation’s impact. Iran’s stated arsenal of approximately 4,000 missiles — 2,000 long-range and 2,000 short-range — was said to have been partially rebuilt since a previous conflict last summer.

📖 Background Context

Khamenei, 86, held power since 1989 and oversaw Iran’s nuclear programme, its proxy network across the region (Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthi forces), and decades of confrontation with the US and Israel. During a 12-day war in June 2025, Israel eliminated several of his closest security advisors. The US had previously struck Iran once before under Trump’s second term, during nuclear negotiations. This operation marks the most decisive escalation of that conflict arc.

What Comes Next

Trump told CBS News he believes the strikes have created a pathway to diplomacy, saying it is “much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously.” He indicated the bombing would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary.” The US operation is expected to last “a couple of weeks,” according to sources cited by Fox News. The fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile — located but difficult to access — remains one of the most consequential open questions of the operation.

In Los Angeles — home to the world’s largest Iranian diaspora outside Iran — celebrations broke out in the streets, with crowds waving pre-1979 Iranian flags and chanting for Reza Pahlavi. Iran’s exiled crown prince said Khamenei “has been erased from the face of history.” How Iran’s 90+ million citizens, its IRGC forces still in the field, and its regional proxies respond in the days ahead will define the next chapter of Middle Eastern history.

⚠ Editorial Note: This is a rapidly developing breaking news story. Facts are sourced from confirmed reporting by multiple international news organisations. Some claims — particularly regarding IRGC retaliatory strike outcomes and casualty figures — remain fluid and are being updated as verified information emerges. This article will be updated as events develop.

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