Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says there are “growing signs” that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is “gone” after US and Israeli strikes
Satellite images earlier showed damage to Khamenei’s compound in Tehran – unconfirmed reports in Israel and the US say he was killed
The US and Israel have launched attacks across the country – Israel says “several senior figures” from the Iran regime have been “eliminated”
In response, Iran has launched attacks throughout the Middle East. Apparent Iranian strikes have been reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, and Kuwait – places with US military bases, or that are allied to the US
Donald Trump said earlier that “major combat operations” were under way, and urged Iranians to “take over” the government
New explosions were reported across Iran on Saturday evening, and Israel says its air force “continues to operate” in the country. More than 200 people have been killed across Iran, the Red Crescent says
The US and Israel think the Iranian regime is vulnerable, writes our international editor Jeremy Bowen, and believe this is an opportunity not to be squandered
Meanwhile, UK PM Keir Starmer says British planes “are in the sky today” in the Middle East “as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been supreme leader since 1989, is the most powerful figure in Iran.
He is head of state and commander-in-chief.
He also has authority over the national police and the morality police.
Khamenei controls the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is in charge of internal security, and its volunteer wing, the Basij Resistance Force – used to quell dissent in Iran.
There are several options for “off ramps” to de-escalation after the US’ military operation in Iran, Donald Trump says.
“I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear programme],'” he tells Axios.
It’s the first time the US president has commented on the operation since announcing the strikes on Saturday morning.
He says he finally took the decision to green-light the strikes due to the lack of progress over nuclear negotiations this week.
“The Iranians got close and then pulled back — close and then pulled back. I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal,” he says, according to the US outlet, which says they spoke to Trump for five minutes over the phone.
