Live updates: Joint US - Israel military offensive Operation Epic Fury
The after effects of the massive attack on Iran are continuing this weekend as the country confirmed early Sunday morning local time that its supreme leader was dead.
The announcement came after a joint U.S. and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites.
President Donald Trump said the "heavy and pinpoint bombing" was to continue through the week or as long as necessary.
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TEHRAN, IRAN - MARCH 01: Plumes of smoke rise over the residential areas of the Iranian capital following airstrikes amid ongoing U.S.â"Israel attacks as multiple explosions are heard across the city in Tehran, Iran on March 01, 2026. (Photo by Fatem
Follow ongoing updates below.
3 US service members killed, 5 seriously injured
9:57 a.m. ET: The U.S. military says as of 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday, three American service members have been killed and five are seriously injured in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran. "Several others" were hurt by shrapnel and concussions.
U.S. Central Command shared the update on social media and said they won't release any more information until 24 hours after family members have been notified.
Iranian president says new leadership council ‘has begun its work’ after death of supreme leader
9:15 a.m. ET: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that a new leadership council "has begun its work" after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian made the comment in a prerecorded message aired on Iranian state television.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Al Jazeera network that a new supreme leader will be chosen in "one or two days."
At least 8 Israelis killed as Iran missile barrage lands near Jerusalem
8:30 a.m. ET: At least eight people were killed after Iran's latest missile barrage landed just miles from Jerusalem. The strikes landed in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. Initial reports said four people were killed when missiles landed in a residential area on Sunday, but that death toll rose to eight, according to Israel's national emergency service.
IDF confirms elimination of 40 Iranian commanders including armed forces chief of staff
6:30 a.m. ET: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that 40 senior Iranian commanders had been killed since the launch of "Operation Epic Fury," including the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces in Tehran Abdolrahim Mousavi.
"Mousavi served as one of the highest senior military ranking officials and was the successor of Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, who was eliminated in the opening strike of 'Operation Rision Lion' in June 2025," the IDF said in a statement.
"The majority of the highest-ranking senior military officials of the Iranian security leadership have been eliminated by the IDF," the Israeli military added.
The strikes in Iran, which began on Saturday, killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Trump warns Iran against following through with retaliation threats
5 a.m. ET: In a Truth Social post early Sunday morning, President Trump warned Iran that the U.S. will strike them with a force never seen before if Tehran follows through with its retaliation threats.
"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"
Trump's warning came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said earlier Sunday that it would launch its "most-intense offensive operation," beginning in "moments."
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US and Israel attack Iran
The backstory:
On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, and Trump said the U.S. was starting major combat operations against Iran.
This is the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the Islamic Republic during talks over its nuclear program. Trump says Iran keeps pursuing nuclear work and missile development, and he warns U.S. casualties are possible.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Associated Press and FOX News. Background information was taken from previous FOX Television Station reporting and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit, Los Angeles, and Orlando.