Iran’s retaliatory strikes and regional tensions surge post-Khamenei
Trump warns Iran against retaliation, vows using force “never been seen before”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Washington would respond with unprecedented force if Iran retaliates against recent U.S. strikes.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before,” adding, “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
— Lee Ying Shan
Iran after Khamenei: What’s next and what it means for the world?
The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sets in motion a formal succession process that could have significant implications for the country’s political stability, sanctions outlook and already strained economy.
However, analysts warned that elimination of the supreme leader does not equal transformation.
“Taking out Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not the same as regime change. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the regime,” the Council on Foreign Relations noted following his passing, limiting the prospects for immediate political or economic transformation.
Marko Papic, chief strategist at Clocktower Group, echoed a similar views: “The Iranian economy is soon to be a parking lot unless the next Supreme Leader is more amenable to negotiating with the U.S.”
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— Lee Ying Shan
Airports in Gulf states, hotel damaged as Iran retaliates against U.S.-Israeli strikes
Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were damaged overnight as Iranian retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf states.
“An incident” at Dubai International Airport (DXB) left four staff injured, according to a social media post by the emirate’s media office.
Most airport terminals had been cleared of passengers, the authority said, adding that further updates will be provided as they become available.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi also reported an interception of a drone that targeted the Zayed International airport, killing an Asian national and leaving seven injured.
Iran has responded to the U.S.-Israel strikes by targeting Israel and multiple Gulf states, including UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan that host U.S. assets.
An intercepted Iranian drone reportedly caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab’s outer facade.
One of the berths at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port also caught fire because of debris resulting from an aerial interception, according to local media reports, citing Dubai authorities.
— Anniek Bao
Iran hit by near-total internet blackout as conflict intensifies
Iran experienced a near-total internet shutdown starting around 2 a.m. ET Saturday, according to independent internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The organization, which uses network measurement and web traffic analytics to detect government-imposed outages, reported that national connectivity fell to just 4% of normal levels.
Posting on X, NetBlocks said the disruption coincided with U.S. and Israeli military operations and resembled restrictions imposed during last year’s conflict with Israel.
—Lee Ying Shan
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps chief dies in U.S.-Israeli attack: reports
Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps died in the U.S.-Israeli attack against Tehran on Saturday, the country’s official news agency reported. Ali Shamkhani, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme Defense Council, was also killed.
“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in the aftermath of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.
— Vinay Dwivedi
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