Iran Rains Missiles on Israel After Security Chief Killed in Air Strike
Tehran swears "decisive and regrettable" revenge as the region's deadliest conflict since World War II enters a new and terrifying chapter — with oil at $100 a barrel and global trade routes under siege.
Iran launched a devastating wave of missiles at Israel after Israeli forces killed Ali Larijani, the country's powerful security chief, in a targeted air strike. The barrage struck near Tel Aviv, claiming two lives and causing widespread destruction to a residential building in the commercial heart of the country.
Larijani, 68, had been the de facto architect of Iran's survival strategy, regional alliances, and defense posture. He was killed alongside Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the feared Basij paramilitary force. Funerals for both men were scheduled for Wednesday in Tehran, drawing enormous crowds in a nation already consumed by grief and fury.
Iran has weaponized global energy markets, all but shutting down the Strait of Hormuz — the vital waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil flows. Crude oil has surged past $100 a barrel, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the economic shockwaves "has only just begun and will hit all."
To force the strait back open, the United States military dropped multiple 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs — costing an estimated $288,000 each — on hardened Iranian missile installations along the coast. President Trump, brushing off criticism from hesitant allies, declared on Truth Social: "WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"
Lebanon was pulled into the widening war when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel following the earlier killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. Israel retaliated with deadly strikes across Lebanon, including a pre-dawn assault on central Beirut that killed at least six people. Plumes of smoke were visible for miles.
Gulf nations also came under fire, with Saudi Arabia intercepting a ballistic missile near the Prince Sultan Air Base. Iran-fired rockets and drones were also directed at US military positions across the region, forcing Gulf states and American forces onto high alert.
Israel has vowed to target Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since succeeding his father. "We will track him down, find him, and neutralize him," declared Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to call for the end of the Iranian regime, a goal neither he nor Trump have formally declared.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards framed Larijani's death as fuel for further escalation, calling his blood "a source of honor, power and national awakening." Turkey's foreign minister condemned Israel's leadership killings as illegal under international law. With no ceasefire in sight, the Middle East stands on the edge of a catastrophe with no modern precedent.
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