Iran Retaliates, Israel Takes Shelter
Millions of Israelis were forced into shelters as Iran launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks. The strikes are a direct response to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, marking a severe escalation with air raid sirens blaring across Israel.
The killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday was the result of an Israeli missile strike on his compound in Tehran. U.S. intelligence, gathered over several months by the CIA, pinpointed Khamenei's location and was shared with Israel, leading to the joint operation. Khamenei, 86, had held the position of Iran's most powerful religious and political figure since 1989. Following the strike, which also killed several of Khamenei's family members and senior officials, Iran's government declared a 40-day period of public mourning. Iranian state media confirmed the death early on Sunday, hours after the initial attack, framing it as a "martyrdom." Iran's retaliation involved a significant deployment of its drone and missile arsenal, a key component of its military strategy to compensate for a comparatively weaker air force. The country has invested heavily in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) since the 1980s and has developed a variety of attack drones, including the Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drone. The retaliatory strikes utilized a combination of short and medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and attack drones. Iran's missile inventory is extensive, with models like the Khorramshahr and Sejjil capable of reaching targets up to 2,000 kilometers away, potentially extending to 3,000 kilometers. This range puts countries across the Middle East and parts of Europe within striking distance.
