Live updates: Explosions heard over Jerusalem as Israel and Iran trade deadly missile attacks

Update:
Date: 9 min ago
Title: Two civilians injured in Jordan from a falling 'explosive object,' official media says
Content:
Two civilians were injured by a falling 'explosive object' in Jordan's norther city of Irbid, Jordanian state media reported Saturday, in what appears to be the country's first casualties after Israel and Iran began trading attacks.
Footage aired by state broadcaster al-Mamlaka TV, which reported the injuries, showed a building that was also damaged in the incident cordoned off by authorities on the scene.
The Jordanian Armed Forces said on Friday it would not allow any violation of the country's airspace, under any circumstances.
Jordanian Air Force jets and air defense systems shot down several missiles and drones that entered Jordan's airspace that day, the armed forces statement said.
Israel, which shares a long border with Jordan, launched unprecedented strikes on Iran on Friday, targeting the heart of nation's nuclear program and senior military leaders. Iran has since launched multiple retaliatory attacks on Israel.
Jordan temporarily closed its airspace Friday in the wake of Israel's initial attack, but flights had resumed as of Saturday morning, the country's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission told CNN.
Update:
Date: 11 min ago
Title: Iran's foreign ministry says still unclear whether negotiators will attend Sunday talks with US
Content:
Iran has yet to make a decision on whether it will attend talks with the United States on Sunday, the foreign ministry spokesperson was cited as saying in state-affiliated media.
Esmail Baghaei said the US' support for Israel has rendered negotiations 'meaningless.'
'It is not possible for you to simultaneously claim to be negotiating and talking to reach an understanding on an issue, while at the same time… allowing a racist regime to violate the territorial integrity of (Iran),' Baghaei said, according to Nour News.
White House officials continue to argue that US President Donald Trump is committed to salvaging the nuclear talks, the sixth round of which was due in the Omani capital Muscat on Sunday. A source told CNN Friday that special envoy Steve Witkoff is 'ready' to meet Iranian officials when they are – whether it be in Oman on Sunday or at some date thereafter.
Update:
Date: 24 min ago
Title: Three Palestinian children wounded in occupied West Bank by fallen missile from Yemen, Israel says
Content:
Three Palestinian children were wounded on Friday when a missile fired from Yemen fell in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, Israel's military said.
The children – aged six, seven and 12 – were injured in the town of Sa'ir near Hebron, according to humanitarian group the Palestine Red Crescent.
No interceptors were launched, the Israel Defense Forces said, adding the incident was under review.
Yemen-based Houthi rebels have been launching missiles towards Israel in protest against its war in Gaza. But the Iran-backed militant group has not claimed responsibility, and nor has the IDF elaborated on the missile's origin.
It came as Israel has been trading deadly missile attacks with Iran since Friday after launching an assault on Tehran's military and nuclear facilities.
Update:
Date: 43 min ago
Title: Iran shot down Israeli drones on northern Salmas border, its state media claims
Content:
Iran said it had downed Israeli drones that crossed its northwestern border near Salmas, the state-affiliated Nour News reported Saturday.
'The Islamic warriors succeed to bring down the Israeli drones that have crossed our border,' the news report said. CNN has approached Israeli forces for comment.
Drones have been a key element of Israel's attack on Iran, which it launched in the early hours of Friday morning. Israeli security officials said that ahead of the attack Israel had established a base for launching explosive drones inside Iran, and the drones were later used to target missile launchers near Tehran.
Update:
Date: 46 min ago
Title: Israel says it carried out a wave of strikes on Tehran overnight
Content:
The Israeli Air Force said it carried out a wave of strikes hitting defense arrays in Tehran overnight into Saturday.
'These strikes carry operational and national significance. We damaged – and will continue to damage – strategic sites and enemy sources of knowledge,' commanding officer of the Israeli Air Force MG Tomer Bar said in a situational assessment.
Israeli Air Force planes struck dozens of targets, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, Bar said.
'For the first time since the beginning of the war, over 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from Israeli territory, the IAF struck defense arrays in the area of Tehran,' he added.
Update:
Date: 1 hr 3 min ago
Title: Search efforts continue after deadly strike near Israeli residential area, authorities say
Content:
Searches were underway Saturday morning for any residents still trapped under the rubble after what police said was a deadly Iranian missile strike that hit near a residential area of Rishon Lezion south of Tel Aviv.
In an image shared by Israeli police, policewoman Aviv Sarga is pictured carrying a baby from the area of impact, where emergency services confirmed two people were killed and 19 wounded.
National emergency response agency Magen David Adom (MDA) said its workers 'encountered extensive destruction to several buildings' when they arrived at the scene.
'Some of the injured were trapped under the rubble; others were walking wounded,' MDA officials said in a statement. 'This was a difficult and complex scene, and we are continuing to search to ensure no one remains trapped.'
Update:
Date: 59 min ago
Title: Video captures moment missile strikes near key military facility in Tel Aviv
Content:
Video verified by CNN shows the dramatic moment a missile struck in the vicinity of the Kirya, an area of Tel Aviv that's home to the military headquarters housing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Ministry of Defense.
Multiple interceptor projectiles can be seen being launched from the ground into the sky in a video shot by a witness from a nearby building, as Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel overnight into Saturday. Moments later, a missile impacts the ground causing a large explosion with large plumes of smoke seen rising from the impact area, footage shows.
Video of the aftermath shows an apartment building was seriously damaged.
A second video, filmed by the Reuters news agency, shows a missile streaking toward the ground before striking the Kirya area at approximately 1:35 a.m. local time. Explosions have been reported across Tel Aviv.
Israeli forces have been working to repel multiple waves of aerial strikes from Iran starting Friday and into Saturday morning. The IDF has said it is 'not commenting on hits and locations.'
Update:
Date: 1 hr 37 min ago
Title: US ambassador to Israel headed to shelter five times overnight, he says
Content:
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said he had to head to bomb shelters five times overnight, as Iran launched waves of retaliatory missile strikes against Israel.
'Been rough nite in Israel,' Huckabee, who is in the country, said in a post on X on Saturday morning.
Huckabee added that Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest which takes place each Saturday, should be quiet, but 'probably won't be.'
On Wednesday, the US State and Defense departments arranged the departure of non-essential personnel from locations around the Middle East, two days before Israel mounted its attack.
Who is he? The former Arkansas governor was nominated by President Donald Trump for the Jerusalem-based post in November last year. He has been a strong defender of Israel, once arguing that there was 'no such thing as a Palestinian.'
Update:
Date: 1 hr 41 min ago
Title: In pictures: Missile damage across Israel
Content:
A fresh wave of Iranian missile strikes hit Israel on Saturday, capping off a night of attacks between the two sides. Israeli authorities said the strikes killed three people and injured dozens.
Iran's strikes come in response to Israel's unprecedented attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets. The attacks killed some of the country's most senior leaders, in addition to at least 78 others. Another 320 people were wounded, most of whom were civilians according to Iranian authorities.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said late Friday that Iran had 'crossed red lines' by firing at civilian population centers.
See more photos from the escalating conflict.
Update:
Date: 2 hr 14 min ago
Title: Iranian drones heading for Israel, IDF says
Content:
The Israel Defense Forces says it has identified more Iranian drones heading toward Israel.
'A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of UAVs launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,' the IDF said in a statement on Saturday.
Update:
Date: 2 hr 16 min ago
Title: Death toll from Iranian strikes on Israel rises to three
Content:
The death toll following a barrage of Iranian strikes on Israel has risen to three, according to statements from emergency services.
Two people died and 19 were wounded in an Iranian missile attack that hit near homes in Rishon Lezion, just south of Tel Aviv, according to an updated statement from Magen David Adom, the emergency response agency. It earlier said one person had been killed.
A third person was killed by a falling weapon fragment during an earlier wave of Iranian strikes overnight into Saturday. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene in the city of Ramat Gan, which is to the east of Tel Aviv, police said.
Update:
Date: 1 hr 45 min ago
Title: New wave of Iranian missiles as morning breaks in Tel Aviv and Tehran. Here's what to know
Content:
It's been just over 24 hours since Israel launched a massive two-pronged attack against Iran, aimed at destroying the country's nuclear sites and decapitating its military leadership in Tehran.
Iran, which vowed a 'crushing response' to the attack, launched several waves of deadly strikes against locations across Israel overnight into Saturday, with both sides reporting deaths and multiple injuries.
Sirens sounded in Israel into Saturday morning and explosions were reported in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Tehran, as the escalating conflict risks pulling the Middle East into a wider war.
Here's what you need to know:
Overnight strikes: Iranian forces launched several waves of missiles toward Israel overnight into Saturday. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted Israeli military centers and air bases in missile strikes on Friday. Meanwhile, Tehran's air defense system was active into early Saturday following another round of Israeli attacks, Iranian state media reported.
Interceptions and damage: The Israeli military claimed that it intercepted some from the latest wave of Iranian missiles, but there are reports of people trapped beneath wreckage of buildings, as well as homes destroyed or damaged. Emergency crews were responding to fallen projectiles. Loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Deaths and injuries: Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least two people, Israeli authorities said. One person was killed and more than 20 wounded after an Iranian missile hit near homes in Rishon Lezion, just south of Tel Aviv. And one woman was killed when a weapon fragment fell in Ramat Gan, also near Tel Aviv. Israel's envoy to the US earlier said about 40 people had been injured. In Iran, at least 78 people were killed in the Israeli strikes, including senior military officials, Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said Friday. More than 320 people were injured, most of them civilians, he added.
Air force bases targeted in Iran: The Israeli military said it struck two Iranian air force bases – used for missile and drone operations – on Friday. They include the Hamadan air base in western Iran the Tabriz air base, a surface-to-surface missile launch site, in the northwest of the country.
Warnings of more to come: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said late Friday that Iran had 'crossed red lines' by firing at civilian population centers and vowed it would pay a 'very heavy price.' Iran said it would intensify its attacks on Israel and target the regional bases of any country that tries to defend it. Netanyahu warned Iran on Friday that 'more is on the way.'
Nuclear talks: A sixth round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran was due to kick off on Sunday. US President Donald Trump told Reuters that Washington's talks with Iran are still planned, although he isn't sure they will go ahead. Trump told NBC News that Iran 'may have another opportunity' to strike a nuclear deal, and implied that Iranians are reaching out to him.
How we got here: Early Friday, Israel launched a wave of unprecedented strikes on Iran, hitting key sites in the nation's nuclear program as well as residential areas in the capital Tehran and killing some of the country's highest-ranking military leaders. Israel had repeatedly pushed for a military option to stop Iran's nuclear program. It said Friday that Tehran had been advancing a 'secret program to assemble a nuclear weapon,' and was closer than ever to being able to obtain one. Iran has repeatedly insisted it isn't building a bomb and that its nuclear program is for energy purposes.
Update:
Date: 2 hr 47 min ago
Title: One dead and more than 20 wounded after missile hits central Israel
Content:
One person has died and more than 20 were wounded after an Iranian missile hit near homes in Rishon Lezion, just south of Tel Aviv, Israel's emergency services said.
A large number of paramedics were sent to the scene, where they found extensive damage and a number of people trapped under rubble.
'This is a difficult and complex scene and we are still continuing to scan and ensure that there are no additional victims inside the buildings,' said Rami Musher, deputy director of the Ayalon region's emergency services.
A video from the Reuters news agency showed the damaged roof of a home and dozens of rescue workers and military personnel at the site.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: CNN team in southern Israel observes smoking rocket downed during latest assault from Iran
Content:
A smoldering rocket came down on a highway in southern Israel near a CNN team that was watching live intercepts of Iranian aerial strikes in the early hours of Saturday.
'There were a lot of loud explosions and impacts, and you can see here, this missile right behind me lying in the road – it's still smoking,' CNN's Nic Robertson said from the scene. 'This was from the latest salvo of the Iranian missiles intercepted.'
'It's not clear if this was an intercept missile or one of the Iranian missiles,' Robertson added.
Iran has launched multiple strikes over Israel in recent hours, with Israeli military forces working to repel the assault and air raid sirens blaring across the country.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: Explosions heard over Jerusalem amid new wave of Iranian missiles
Content:
Explosions have been heard in the skies above Jerusalem as a new wave of Iranian missiles heads toward Israel.
'An additional barrage of missiles was launched toward the State of Israel,' the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
The IDF earlier warned of a new series of strikes and said its defenses were operating.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: Rare footage released by Israeli spy agency Mossad unveils the sophisticated intelligence operation in Iran
Content: Rare footage released by Israeli spy agency Mossad unveils the sophisticated intelligence operation behind Israel's recent unprecedented attack on Iran. CNN Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance takes a look into this significant breakthrough as well as what sort of retaliation could be in store.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: What to know about the Iranian leaders killed in Israeli strikes
Content:
Iran's highest-ranking military officer, the head of its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps and its air force and a former national security chief have all been killed in Israel's unprecedented Operation Rising Lion.
Here's what you need to know about them:
Major General Hossein Salami: As the head of the secretive Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he was one of the most powerful men in Iran, overseeing its most potent military arm and reporting directly to its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Salami had headed the secretive and IRGC since 2019, according to a US sanctions docket. He was at the helm of the IRGC when Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in April and October last year, in the first direct strikes by Iran on Israeli territory.
Major General Mohammad Bagheri: Since 2016 Mohammad Bagheri had served as the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, which IISS estimated could call on more than 500,000 active personnel. The General Staff is 'the most senior military body in Iran, which implements policy and monitors and coordinates activities within the armed forces', according to a US Treasury document laying out sanctions against Bagheri in 2019.
Ali Shamkhani: A close aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he represented Tehran at talks which sealed a landmark agreement to restore diplomatic ties with foe Saudi Arabia. Shamkhani served as the country's top national security official for a decade from 2013, and before that served in a number of important roles, including in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the ministry of defense. He had been a rising star of Iranian diplomacy, well known in foreign-policy circles in Washington and Europe.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh: The death of this commander of the IRGC's Air Force is a major blow to Tehran. Hajizadeh headed the country's missile program, which was involved in defending the country's air space and carrying out attacks overseas. He was the mastermind of Iran's previous attack on Israel in April 2024 as well as the missile attack on a US base in Iraq in 2020.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: How Israel's campaign to wipe out Iran's nuclear program unfolded
Content:
Israel launched a wave of unprecedented strikes on Iran shortly before sunrise Friday morning, hitting key sites in the nation's nuclear program as well as residential areas in upscale neighborhoods of Tehran and killing some of the country's highest-ranking military leaders.
CNN analyzed satellite imagery and dozens of videos shared on social media to understand how the wide-ranging operation unfolded across the country. Here's a timeline:
Pre-dawn: The first reports of explosions in Tehran came at around 3:30 a.m. local time Friday. Strikes also hit the Natanz nuclear facility, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of Tehran.
4:14 a.m.: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had used jets to strike 'dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.' The statement came at 3:44 a.m. in Israel, which is 30 minutes behind Iran's time zone.
4:35 a.m.: Within minutes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the US was 'not involved' in Israel's strikes and that Israel's actions were 'unilateral.' 'Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,' Rubio said in a statement on X, anticipating a potential Iranian response.
5:17 a.m.: Netanyahu gave a televised address, saying that Israel had acted to 'roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival.' He said the operation would continue for as long as it takes 'to remove these threats.' Netanyahu claimed Iran had produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine nuclear weapons. 'Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months,' Netanyahu said. 'This is a clear and present danger to Israel's survival.'
8:35 a.m.: The Israeli military said it had killed three of the most senior men in Iran's military and its nuclear program. While Friday's strikes appeared extremely targeted, there have also been reports of civilian casualties.
8:48 a.m.: The IDF said that Iran had launched more than 100 drones towards Israeli territory, and that Israel's air defenses were preparing to intercept them.
Around midday: Early afternoon, Iranian media reported that Israel had launched a fresh strike on the northwestern city of Tabriz. Tamsin news agency said the Tabriz Airport had come under 'heavy Israeli attack.'
Read CNN's full timeline of attacks and communications from key stakeholders
Update:
Date: 3 hr 23 min ago
Title: What you need to know about Iran's nuclear program
Content:
After decades of threats, Israel on Friday launched an audacious attack on Iran, targeting its nuclear sites, scientists and military leaders. But international assessments, including by the US intelligence community, say that Iran's nuclear program isn't currently weaponized. Tehran has also repeatedly insisted it isn't building a bomb.
Here's what you need to know about Iran's nuclear program:
Origin: The US launched a nuclear program with Iran in 1957. Back then, the Western-friendly monarch – the Shah – ruled Iran and the two countries were still friends. With backing from the US, Iran started developing its nuclear power program in the 1970s. But the US pulled its support when the Shah was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Since the revolution, which transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic, Western nations have worried the country could use its nuclear program to produce atomic weapons using highly enriched uranium.
Iran's position: Tehran has maintained that it does not seek to build nuclear weapons. It is a party to the UN's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), under which it has pledged not to develop a bomb. It has spent decades developing its nuclear program and sees it as a source of national pride and sovereignty. It maintains the program is solely for peaceful energy purposes and plans to build additional nuclear power plants to meet domestic energy needs and free up more oil for export.
Why is the program so controversial: Nuclear plants require a fuel called uranium – and according to the UN nuclear watchdog, no other country has the kind of uranium that Iran currently does without also having a nuclear weapons program. That has fueled suspicions that Iran isn't being fully transparent about its intentions. Tehran has used its stockpile of weapons-grade uranium as a bargaining chip in talks with the United States, repeatedly saying it would get rid of it if US-led sanctions are lifted.
Read CNN's full analysis on Iran's nuclear program.
Update:
Date: 3 hr 24 min ago
Title: Iran-Israel strikes add uncertainty to US effort to reach a nuclear deal with Tehran
Content:
The United States and Iran have been engaged for weeks in talks on a potential nuclear deal.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on how the latest fighting between Israel and Iran has only added to the uncertainty surrounding those talks:
The nuclear deal between the US and Iran could be in jeopardy following Israel's attack on Iran. CNN's Kaitlan Collins has the details.

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Fox News

23 minutes ago

• Fox News

Foreign policy experts rip Tim Walz's claim that China has 'moral authority' in Middle East conflict

Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is facing criticism after claiming China could be the voice of "moral authority" in the Israel-Iran conflict. During a "What's Next: Conversations on the Path Forward" event hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP) last week, Walz responded to a question from former Biden White House advisor, Neera Tanden, about the "escalatory" nature of the strikes between the two countries. "Now, who is the voice in the world that can negotiate some type of agreement in this? Who holds the moral authority? Who holds the ability to do that? Because we are not seen as a neutral actor, and we maybe never were," Walz said of the United States' role in deescalating tensions in the Middle East. As the United States weighs striking Iran and war in the Middle East rages on, Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital that Walz's comments are "ignorance on display." According to Walz, the United States once attempted "to be somewhat of the arbitrator" in the Middle East, but Americans must face the reality that the "neutral actor" with the "moral authority" to lead negotiations in the Middle East "might be the Chinese." Walz didn't elaborate on why China would be that world leader. "It's so staggering to me that Tim Walz was within a heartbeat of the presidency," Pletka said, before adding, "We don't need a neutral player here," and urging him to "stick to local politics." Andy Keiser, senior fellow at the conservative National Security Institute and former senior advisor on the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News Digital that someone should "remind Governor Walz that China is far from a moral authority on much of anything," and said China is committing "cultural genocide." "The Chinese government has reportedly arbitrarily detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps since 2017," according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). "Most of the people who have been detained are Uyghur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang." In addition to the detentions, "Uyghurs in the region have been subjected to intense surveillance, forced labor, and involuntary sterilizations, among other rights abuses," according to the CFR. According to Human Rights Watch, President Xi Jinping has "detained human rights defenders, tightened control over civil society, media, and the internet, and deployed invasive mass surveillance technology" in Xinjiang and Tibet, which the human rights watchdog likened to "crimes against humanity." "I would strongly beg to differ that China has a moral authority on much in the world," Keiser said, and added, "I would not see them as a neutral arbiter here." "Obviously, we are not going to be a neutral broker between a terrorist and a democratic state," Pletka said. "That's just not how it works. You threatened to kill the President of the United States, but we're then meant to think of you in a balanced way with the state of Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East?" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News' Bret Baier on Monday that President Donald Trump remains a target of the Iranians. "They want to kill him. He's enemy No. 1." "I don't know how anybody could have said what [Walz] said about the role that China plays. The idea that there is some neutral interlocutor in this world, that anybody is an 'honest burger' is nothing other than grad school silliness," Pletka said. Pletka added that "Of course, China can't play that role. China is an authoritarian communist [state] that is supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine, that is threatening Taiwan, that has broken its word over Hong Kong." And she said, "This is not a playground in which you need somebody who can talk to both Bobby and Billy about why it is you don't smack your friends." "The idea that it should be reduced to something where you have an arbiter who sees the arguments on both sides, no. This is a situation where there's a right and a wrong, and there's a winner and a loser. That's how it should be, by the way, because Iran has fashioned itself as an enemy, not just to the state of Israel, but to the United States." Nikki Haley – former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who sounded off on China's threat to the United States on the campaign trail – was quick to criticize Walz's viral comments last week. "This is absolute insanity. Democrats think that we need the Chinese to be the negotiators between Iran's nuclear production and Israel…God bless Tim Walz. Totally tone deaf," Haley posted on X.

CNN

27 minutes ago

• CNN

Israel has threatened to kill Iran's supreme leader. Here's what could come next

As US President Donald Trump weighs joining Israel's assault on Iran, questions are mounting over whether such an intervention could trigger regime change in Tehran – an outcome that risks splintering the country and sending shockwaves across the region. Home to long-simmering separatist movements that have vied for power and independence, Iran could face internal fragmentation and chaos if its government falls, experts warn. After reportedly rejecting an Israeli plan to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump stated this week that Iran's Supreme Leader is an 'easy target.' 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He is an easy target but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not ruled out targeting Khamenei either, saying that the death of the Supreme Leader is 'not going to escalate the conflict, it's going to end the conflict.' On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, declaring that Khamenei cannot be allowed to 'continue to exist' after an Iranian missile struck a hospital in Israel. Iran is a nation of more than 90 million people and home one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. Its borders have remained more or less stable for about 100 years. The Islamic Republic has managed to preserve those frontiers despite a diverse population of ethnic and religious groups, many of whom have sought autonomy at various points. But the comments from Israeli and US officials have prompted speculation over what Iran might look like if Khamenei is killed – with experts warning that the country could face a range of scenarios, including regime collapse or even civil war. The 86-year-old cleric has ruled Iran for more than 35 years as its highest authority, rising to power a decade after the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew a US-backed monarch. Over the years, he consolidated power and ruled with an iron grip under strict Islamic law. He crushed wave after wave of protests demanding social freedoms – each with increasing ferocity – and expanded Iran's reach far beyond its borders through a network of proxy militias. With his fate in question, attention is turning to who might succeed him, and how that uncertainty could unleash greater unrest. The Supreme Leader is elected by the 88-member Assembly of Experts for life and doesn't officially name a successor. It is unclear who might replace Khamenei, but that process may take place as separatist groups who have long resented the Islamic Republic seek to take advantage of what they may see as an opportunity. Israel has already killed several of Iran's key military figures, and experts say that the regime is now at its weakest. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, said that regime change would require Israel or the United States having a figure in mind to replace Khamenei and send troops to the country. The figure Israel is likely to favor is Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of the deposed Iranian monarch who was ousted in 1979. Pahlavi has voiced support for Israel's actions, drawing praise from some in the Iranian diaspora and accusations of betrayal from many others. 'Soon in Tehran,' Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli posted on X on Friday, along with a picture of himself shaking hands with a smiling Pahlavi. Pahlavi told BBC News on Sunday that Israel's conflict with Iran was an opportunity to bring down the Iranian regime. If the Supreme Leader is killed and the Guardian Council delays naming a successor, the risk of instability could grow, experts say. A possible outcome of Khamenei's potential killing is total regime collapse, Parsi said. 'Regime collapse is just to collapse the state, and let the chaos that ensues fester,' Parsi told CNN. Several scenarios could ensue if the Iranian regime falls, none of which is expected to be to the liking of the US or neighboring states, experts said. Hamed Mousavi, associate professor of International Relations at the University of Tehran, warned that military intervention 'rarely leads to democratization.' 'Look at the experience of Iraq and Afghanistan… Both countries were unstable for many years,' Mousavi told CNN, adding that Iran is 'even more complicated' than those nations. One outcome could be that other elements in the Iranian military assume power. They are unlikely to seek diplomatic routes with Israel or the US, but could take a more hawkish approach that sees possession of a nuclear bomb as the only deterrent to more attacks, Parsi said. Military factions that could take over are 'not going to be the type of regime that the US may have had in mind,' Parsi said. Another possible scenario is descent into chaos, as Iran's multiple ethnic groups vie for power. Iran has a diverse population, including Persians, Azeris, Arabs, Baloch and Kurds. Under Khamenei's decades-long rule, the Islamic Republic largely managed to contain civil and ethnic unrest, despite the mistreatment faced by some groups. Minorities faced discrimination in 'their access to education, employment, adequate housing and political office,' according to Amnesty International last year. 'Continued underinvestment in regions populated by ethnic minorities exacerbated poverty and marginalization,' it said. Azeris make up around 16% of Iran's overall population, according to Minority Rights Group. The Shiite group is the largest and most well-integrated minority in the Islamic Republic but has nonetheless faced inequity. Arabs constitute up to 4 million people, and they have also been subjected to marginalization over the years. A group of tribes speaking the Balochi language, the Baloch people make up nearly 5 million of Iran's population. The predominantly Sunni group extends into neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, raising the possibility of separatist conflict spilling over the borders. The 'Army of Justice' organization, a Baloch Sunni militant group, has shown support for Israel's strikes on Iran, saying in a statement: 'It is clear that the current attack is not on Iran, but on the Velayat-e-Faqih (ruling) regime , it is God's will that the ground has been prepared for us, the people of Iran, to make the best use of this vacuum.' Kurds make up some 10% of Iran's population and are mostly settled along the borders with Iraq and Turkey. They have been subject to 'deep-rooted discrimination,' Amnesty said. The Kurdistan Freedom Party, a nationalist and separatist militant group in Iran, published a statement backing Israel's strikes, saying it supports 'the process of destroying Iran's military and security capabilities.' A Kurdish rebellion in Iran would also be a major concern for neighboring Iraq and Turkey, both of which have large Kurdish minorities that have sought independence. Another exiled group that has garnered support from US conservatives is the Mujahadin-e Khalq (MeK), a shadowy dissident group that was once a US-designated terrorist organization but today counts prominent anti-Iran politicians as key allies. Iran accuses it of terrorism, saying it carried out a series of attacks in the 1980s. The MeK denies those charges. It is one of the best-organized opposition groups confronting the Islamic Republic, but it has little support among Iranians, largely due to its violent past and for having supported Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his almost decade-long war with Iran. If Iran's regime falls, 'there would be support for ethnic separatist groups by the Israelis, and perhaps the US,' Parsi said. This would lead to a situation where remnants of the state are going to be consumed with fighting separatists. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, executive director of the Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy and a former Iranian lawmaker who opposes the current regime, expressed fears that Iran may descend into civil conflict if the current rule falls. 'I would like to get rid of this regime. I am the opposition,' she told CNN's Becky Anderson. 'My main concern is… I see the signs (of) civil war.'

Wall Street Journal

29 minutes ago

• Wall Street Journal

Iran's Internet Has Been Offline for More Than 12 Hours

Iran has severed internet access nationwide for more than 12 hours, an independent tracker says, after Tehran authorities instituted restrictions aiming to thwart alleged Israeli military cyber offensives. The 'nation-scale internet shutdown' across Iran limits the ability for locals to access information at a critical time, according to NetBlocks, an independent organization that tracks internet flows, in a social-media post.