The skies over Iran have barely quieted since the start of a joint US-Israeli offensive that began a week ago with the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Donald Trump has since framed the campaign as a crusade for regime change, demanding unconditional surrender and urging Iranians to help dismantle the government that has ruled them for decades.
On Friday, the intensity of the campaign reached new heights. US B-2 stealth bombers conducted major raids on Iran’s buried missile infrastructure, dropping dozens of heavy penetrating bombs on underground launch sites. The head of US Central Command confirmed the strikes, adding that a large Iranian naval vessel used to launch drones had also been targeted and possibly destroyed. The defense secretary promised a dramatic surge in American firepower in the days ahead.
Iran has responded with what resources remain available to it. The Revolutionary Guards launched missiles and drones at Gulf states, aiming at American military facilities and energy infrastructure in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Several states confirmed successful interceptions. Iran also fired additional missiles at Israel, though at a reduced rate compared to the war’s opening salvos. The Revolutionary Guards promised new and unspecified weapons would soon be deployed.
The tragedy in Lebanon deepened as Israel’s military issued the most expansive evacuation orders in the country’s recent history. Over one million people were on the move, with hundreds of thousands already displaced from southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The Red Cross described scenes of desperate families fleeing with nothing, unsure of where to go. Hezbollah fought on regardless, claiming rocket strikes on northern Israeli communities and engaging Israeli troops near the border.
The political dimension of the conflict has also intensified. Trump publicly stated in an interview that he believed he should have a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, dismissing one leading candidate as a lightweight. Iranian state television reported that a leadership council had begun deliberating on how to convene the assembly of experts responsible for choosing the new leader. The clerical establishment, even under fire, appeared determined to maintain the structure of theocratic governance.