US Suffers First War Casualties as Iran Counterstrikes Increase – The Mercury News

Arsalan Shahla and Patrick Sykes

(Bloomberg) – The US has said the first Americans have been killed in a war with Iran that has spread to several countries in the Middle East, as it threatens to boost energy markets.

Three US service members were killed and five were “seriously wounded” during operations against the Islamic Republic, US Central Command said on Sunday.

President Donald Trump said on social media earlier that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed. Iran confirmed the news hours later, saying the government would observe 40 days of mourning for the 86-year-old ruler, who was killed in his office.

“The heavy and targeted bombing will continue without interruption for a week or as long as necessary,” Trump said.

Fighting spread across the region on Sunday, a day after the US and Israel launched an attack on the Islamic Republic, drawing a swift and widespread response. Iranian missiles hit buildings in Tel Aviv, while defenses in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait blocked the incoming projectiles.

Dubai’s main airport, the world’s busiest aviation hub, has been hit, and almost all civilian flights across the Gulf have been shut down. Dubai landmarks including the luxury Palm Jumeirah island and the Burj Al Arab hotel suffered damage, as did buildings in Abu Dhabi.

Both Israel and the United Arab Emirates have announced casualties from waves of attacks from Iran. Iranian television reported on Saturday that more than 200 people have been killed in strikes in the Islamic Republic.

Israel estimates that its strikes destroyed hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and took out nearly half of the country’s arsenal, according to an Israeli military official.

Conflicts have also emerged in global energy markets. Oil has gained nearly 20% this year, largely due to US-Iran tensions, and OPEC+ on Sunday agreed to raise production again next month to counter an expected rally in crude prices. Oil markets are closed for the weekend.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas route linking the Persian Gulf to the open sea, was described by Iran’s Tasnim news agency as closed, as tankers increasingly avoided the waterway. It is reported that two ships were hit off the coast of Oman.

The assassination of Khamenei, the ruler who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, took the US-Israeli campaign to end Iran’s regional influence to another level. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed “revenge and vengeance” for the killing, calling it a “legitimate right,” and other officials vowed to step up the country’s military response on Sunday.

Khamenei has not publicly named a successor, and the Council of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader, is required to appoint a replacement. Currently, a council consisting of the president, the head of the judiciary and a representative of the Guardian Council take over the leader’s duties. The council will meet later on Sunday, Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani said.

Videos from inside Iran flooded social media following news of the deaths, showing crowds dancing and singing in the streets in celebration. Other clips showed mourners. In Pakistan, at least nine pro-Iran protesters were killed in clashes with police as they tried to storm the gates of the US Consulate.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have condemned Iran’s attack in harsh terms, suggesting that Gulf Arab countries are losing patience.

Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the leadership of the UAE, urged Iran on X to “come to your senses,” warning that the Islamic Republic is now isolated at a critical time. Saudi Arabia summoned Iran’s ambassador in response to what it called an “apparent” attack targeting the kingdom.

The ongoing war could be a defining moment for Trump, who risks the long-running regional conflict leading to higher energy prices and hurting America ahead of midterm elections in November. The purpose of the attack is to “eliminate future threats from the Iranian government,” Trump said in a video posted on his Public Truth forum earlier Saturday, urging Iranians to “take over your government.”

Israel’s military said 1,200 missiles were fired at Iran in a 24-hour period, compared to 330 missiles fired at the start of the 12-day war in June last year.

About 200 Iranian ballistic missiles have been destroyed and dozens disabled, an Israeli military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

A production facility for explosives used for ballistic and cruise missiles, rockets and drones was also destroyed, as well as four facilities used for the production of rocket engines, the official said.

US forces successfully intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, the Central Command said in a statement, adding that there were no reports of US casualties or combat-related injuries.

The targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian military defenses, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields, according to Centcom. Israel said the army commander, Mohammad Pakpour, had been killed.

Iranian media reported strikes on defense and civilian areas, including one that killed more than 140 people at a school in Hormozgan. Several large explosions were reported in Tehran, the capital.

Iran’s response surpassed its retaliation to the Israeli airstrikes in June – both in scale and speed – as Tehran views the conflict as an existential threat to the government born in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The prospect of a weeks-long regional war is a nightmare for US allies in the Gulf such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. They have pushed hard for Iran and the US to agree to a political solution to their dispute over Tehran’s nuclear activities, fearing that the current chaos and shutdown of flights could affect their economy and deter foreign tourists and investment.

Trump said military action was necessary after Iran refused to give up its nuclear weapons, which Tehran has repeatedly said it does not pursue. The latest round of talks took place on Thursday.

Shortly before Trump announced Khamenei’s death, a senior administration official told reporters that Iran had refused to move forward on many sticking points, including measures to weaken regional opposition groups. Trump saw that as a key issue in any deal that could be reached, the official said.

-With help from Dana Khraiche, Leen Al-Rashdan, Alisa Odenheimer and Eltaf Najafizada.

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