Israel strikes Iranian leadership meeting choosing Khamenei successor

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Israeli forces struck a meeting of Iran�

“Israel struck while they were counting the votes for the appointment of the supreme leader,” the official said.

The strike underscored the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration inside Tehran and marked one of the most dramatic escalations yet in the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s political and military leadership from the top down.

It came asIran’s leadership structureappeared increasingly hollowed out.

Large plume of smoke billowing over buildings in Tehran after reported explosions

Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026, after explosions were reported in the city during the joint U.S.-Israel operation against Iran.(Contributor/Getty Images)

More than 40 of Iran’s most senior leaders — including Khamenei — have been killed since the operation began, with 49 eliminated in theopening salvo of Operation Epic Furyearly Saturday, fracturing the regime’s command structure and dealing a crippling blow to its military leadership and command-and-control networks.

Israeli analysts estimated that more than 1,000 enemy combatants have been killed inside Iran since the United States launched Operation Epic Fury and Israel launched its parallel campaign, Operation Roaring Lion, on Saturday.The estimate came from Israel’s latest battle damage assessment, according to a senior Israeli official.

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuframed the conflict as part of a broader effort to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear ambitions.

KEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES

Pro-Iran protesters brandish billboards depicting Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, flags of Yemen and Iran, weapons, and chant slogans at a rally held to condemn the U.S.-Israel aerial attacks on Iran and the killing of Khamenei and several military officials.(Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

“With these ballistic missiles, these weapons of mass death, these weapons, they bombed all these countries,” Netanyahu said.“And when they developed these ballistic missiles, they’ll try and eventually they’ll bomb you.This is what President Trump understood.”

Vice PresidentJD Vancesaid the administration had set a clear, limited objective for the operation.

“There’s just no way thatDonald Trumpis going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict, with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,” Vance said.“He’s defined that objective as Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and has to commit long-term to never trying to rebuild the nuclear capability.”

Thejoint U.S.-Israel assaultentered its fourth day Tuesday, with no signs of slowing down.

A satellite image showing a plume of smoke above Tehran, Iran on March 1, 2026.

A satellite image from Planet Labs shows a plume of smoke above Tehran, Iran on March 1, 2026.(Planet Labs PBC)

President Donald Trump said the plan was ahead of schedule following the early elimination of Iran’s top leaders.

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The U.S.urged Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East as Iran’s counterattacks intensified.The State Department also closed two embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf Cooperation Council warned Iran it would take “all necessary measures,” including possible military action, in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks.