Overview
- President Trump outlined goals to destroy Iran’s missile forces, cripple its navy, prevent a nuclear weapon and cut support to regional militias, saying the operation is ahead of schedule but could extend beyond four to five weeks.
- Iran and allied groups expanded retaliation with missiles and drones across Israel and Gulf states, with reports of drones striking near the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and Israeli strikes hitting targets in Tehran and Beirut.
- U.S. Central Command reported six American service members killed and additional wounded in Iranian counterattacks, and three U.S. jets were downed by Kuwaiti air defenses in an apparent friendly‑fire incident with crews surviving.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes, and the Iranian Red Crescent reported hundreds of civilian deaths in Iran, including more than 100 children in a school strike in Minab.
- Energy and logistics shocks mounted as Qatar halted LNG production after attacks, Iran threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, flights were curtailed across the region and companies reported infrastructure damage from drone strikes.