“The Iranian regime was warned,” the United States Central Command said hours after coordinated strikes by the US and Israel shook the Tehran establishment, killing long-time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early on Sunday.In an extensive display of military power, the Donald Trump-led US launched Operation Epic Fury, a mission designed to directly target the Khamenei-led rule. The US Central Command also released a video showing a visual display of the military operation, including missiles being launched in precision strikes aimed at the heart of Iran — Tehran and other key locations across the country.The video reportedly showed the HIMARS, or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which is operated by US ground forces.
Israel also joined the operation alongside the US, acting as a key regional ally in the strikes against Iran and the Khamenei-led regime in the oil-rich country.The missiles and other weapons used in the strikes did not spare the Supreme Leader. Among those reported killed were Khamenei’s daughter and a grandchild.The American strikes relied on a range of modern military systems. With the world’s largest defence budget, the US deployed stealth fighter jets, suicide drones and Tomahawk missiles during the operation.Meanwhile, another video posted hours earlier reportedly captured Tomahawk missiles being launched from a US cruise vessel.The X post of central command’s caption read: “As the President stated, our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. The President ordered bold action. CENTCOM forces are delivering an overwhelming and unrelenting blow.”Meanwhile, with the launch of the strikes, Trump once again made clear his long-standing opposition to Khamenei and his rule in Iran, saying it did not serve US interests in the region. Trump announced the operation in an eight-minute video, declaring that the United States was conducting “major combat operations” to prevent Iran from threatening America and its core national security interests. He stated, “We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”The US military used a combination of missiles and drones to strike targets in Iran while relying on advanced air defence systems to protect its bases in the Middle East from possible retaliation.According to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military developments, American warships launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian targets, while ground forces deployed the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.US forces also used drones and other undisclosed standoff weapons designed for long-range attacks beyond the reach of enemy air defences. The coordinated strikes began on Saturday morning and were carried out using US military assets operating from land, sea and air.
