JERUSALEM/TEHRAN — The Middle East remains on a knife-edge as Israel confirmed fresh strikes targeting “the heart of Tehran” on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Following the dramatic killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Saturday, the Islamic Republic has initiated “Operation True Promise 4,” firing waves of missiles at U.S. military bases and allied nations across the Gulf.
The rapid escalation has prompted the United Nations to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning that the region is “one miscalculation away” from a wider catastrophe.
The Attack on Tehran
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Sunday morning that they are pursuing a campaign to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and aerial defense arrays. Plumes of smoke were visible over Tehran as strikes hit targets near government offices and the city’s main police headquarters.
- Decapitation Strike: Saturday’s strikes reportedly eliminated not only Khamenei but also top military figures, including Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammed Pakpour.
- Iranian Retaliation: Tehran has responded by targeting U.S. facilities in Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain, as well as civilian infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- Regional Panic: The attacks have paralyzed air travel, with major carriers grounding flights and airspace over several Gulf nations declared unsafe.
International Alarm and Plea for De-escalation
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the surge in violence, emphasizing that the use of force undermines international peace and security. “Everything must be done to prevent wider escalation,” Guterres stated, urging all parties to return to the negotiating table.
The U.S. has pledged continued support for Israeli defense efforts, while Iran’s newly forming interim leadership has vowed a “decisive and open-ended” response to what they termed “Zionist-American aggression.”
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