Iran escalates: Israel says it struck Tehran again as Iran sets an interim council after Khamenei’s death

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published March 1, 2026

Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب

Israel said its air force launched a new round of strikes inside Tehran on Sunday, March 1, 2026, extending the escalation that followed reports of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In Tehran, Iranian officials announced interim arrangements to carry out the Supreme Leader’s duties through a three-member council made up of President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Guardian Council cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, pending the selection of a successor.

The exchange of attacks continued, with casualties reported in several countries. In Israel, the national ambulance service said a missile strike on the town of Beit Shemesh killed six people. In the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates said attacks killed three people, while Kuwait reported one death.

The conflict has also widened operationally. U.S. Central Command reported three U.S. service members killed and five seriously wounded, the first American combat fatalities in the unfolding operation. Iranian state media said the IRGC fired four ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln, but CENTCOM said the carrier was not hit and the missiles “didn’t even come close.”

Separately, the U.S. military said it sank an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette at a pier in Chah Bahar on the Gulf of Oman, marking another sharp uptick in direct military confrontation.

The shockwaves are spreading across shipping, aviation and energy. Ship-tracking data showed large numbers of crude and LNG tankers anchoring in open waters near the Strait of Hormuz amid rising security risks, while flight disruptions persisted as major regional airports faced closures or severe restrictions.