The United States and Israel have launched fresh waves of intensive attacks across Iran on the second day of their military campaign, plunging the Middle East into a new regional conflict. The renewed violence comes amid heated rhetoric from Washington and Tehran that suggests further escalation.
US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the US would hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Tehran retaliated after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike. Trump called for regime change and urged “the Iranian people to take back their country”.
In Tehran, a huge blast near the police headquarters and state television sent a plume of smoke into the sky on Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces said their air force was striking “in the heart of Tehran” to destroy remaining air defences. Iran’s ambassador to the UN reported hundreds of civilian casualties from deliberate attacks on neighbourhoods.
Iranian retaliation has targeted Israel, civilian infrastructure and US military bases across the Gulf states. Dubai’s airport, one of the world’s busiest, remained shut after damage from overnight attacks. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, with interceptions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, ships reported a radio broadcast from the Iranian navy banning transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint, raising expectations of a sharp jump in oil prices. British Defence Secretary John Healey described the situation as “serious and deteriorating”, accusing Iran of “lashing out”.
