The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on its ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensified military campaign following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Blasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. At least 200 people have been killed since the start of the war, according to Iranian leaders.
As the bombardment continued on, the conflict widened beyond the U.S., Israel and Iran. Iran-supported militant groups in Iraq and Lebanon claimed strikes on Israel and a U.S. base. Gulf states warned that they could retaliate against Iran after strikes that hit key sites and killed at least five civilians. And after Britain said it would let the U.S. use its bases as part of the war effort, Cyprus said a drone attack targeted a British base on the island.
Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive that killed at least 3 U.S. service members — the first known American casualties from the conflict. Israeli rescue services said strikes hit several locations, including Jerusalem and a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 wounded, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. The attacks on Iran showed no signs of relenting as the U.S. and Israel took aim at warships and ballistic missile sites. It was a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and pledged to keep out of “forever wars.”
