Air raid sirens sounded Saturday morning across central Israel, Jerusalem and parts of the north following missile fire from Iran, as fighting under Operation Roaring Lion continued to intensify.
The Israel Defense Forces said Air Force jets dropped more than 1,200 munitions over the past 24 hours in strikes on targets in Iran.
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Ruins of a building damaged in the Israeli attack
(Photo: West Asia News Agency REUTERS)
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Footage of Israeli Air Force preparations for strikes in Iran
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
Iran’s state broadcaster officially confirmed the deaths of Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme National Defense Council Secretary and senior adviser Ali Shamkhani and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. It marked the first formal confirmation of Mousavi’s death.
Iranian media also reported loud explosions in Tehran.
The New York Times reported overnight that some of the intelligence regarding a meeting of senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was obtained through close cooperation between Israeli and US intelligence agencies. According to the report, the operation was initially planned for nighttime but was carried out during the day after it became clear that the senior leadership had convened at the compound.
In Israel, officials assessed the latest Iranian barrages as intense but consisting of relatively limited launches. Military analysts said the fire may reflect either an attempt at attrition or difficulties in managing the campaign, as Iran launches missiles toward Israel and US bases across the Middle East.
Israeli aircraft and drones are targeting launchers and surface-to-air missile systems in an effort to reduce the volume of fire and establish air superiority over Iran.
Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai wrote that Iran may be launching missiles quickly out of concern they will be exposed or destroyed before use. He noted that Iran must recalibrate targets across Israel and US bases in the region while under fire, which may explain why dozens of missiles, rather than hundreds, have been launched in a steady trickle rather than in massive barrages. While this has forced Israelis to remain in protected areas for extended periods, he said it reduces the overall threat level.
Fragments of a ballistic missile fell in open fields in the Beit She’an Valley, according to Israeli reports.
Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen network reported explosions in Dubai amid continued Iranian attacks on what it described as US targets in the United Arab Emirates. Sabereen News, affiliated with pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, reported three separate strikes in Bahrain’s Al-Jafair area and an attack targeting US assets near Irbil in northern Iraq.
Qatar’s Interior Ministry urged residents to remain in their homes or in safe locations and to go outside only in urgent cases until further notice.
Following confirmation of Khamenei’s killing, Iraq’s government declared three days of mourning.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that in accordance with the constitution, a leadership council would assume the responsibilities of the supreme leader until a successor is chosen. He warned that “the enemy is mistaken if it believes assassinating leaders will undermine Iran’s stability,” adding, “We will burn the hearts of our enemies.” He also accused the United States of seeking to plunder Iran’s wealth.
US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iran had declared it would strike “very hard” and warned that if it follows through, “we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before.”
First published: 09:14, 03.01.26