Iran targets US aircraft carrier, bombs Israel, neighbours over Khamenei killing

The Middle East remained on edge for a second straight day on Sunday after the United States and Israel launched what they described as a "precise and large-scale operation" across Iran, killing its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several of his family members.

Multiple explosions rocked Tehran as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in the capital. Powerful blasts were reported across the heart of the city, with videos showing thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they launched four ballistic missiles at the US aircraft carrier Lincoln, as per Iranian state media cited by news agency Reuters. However, US Central Command



said that the "Iranian missile did not even come close" to the carrier, which continues to operate in the region.

Later, the Israeli military also claimed it had dismantled most of the aerial defence systems in western and central Iran, saying the strikes were intended to clear the path toward establishing air superiority over Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran has appointed senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as interim Supreme Leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Authorities invoked Article 111 of the Constitution, triggering an emergency arrangement under which a three-member council assumes the Supreme Leader's powers until a permanent successor is chosen.