Operation Epic Fury Claims Key Iranian Leaders

On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump announced that Operation Epic Fury had taken out at least 48 high-ranking Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In an interview with Fox News’ Jackie Heinrich, Trump mentioned that the U.S. had an updated list of priority targets after the initial military operation, which was a joint effort with Israel, resulted in the removal of numerous individuals from a key commission.

“It’s moving along. Rapidly,” he stated, reflecting on an ongoing situation he’s described as unfolding for 47 years. “It’s impressive how fast this is happening. Forty-eight leaders gone at once. It’s remarkable.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the deaths of at least 40 “key” Iranian military figures, including Chief of Staff Abdulrahim Mousavi, who was reported to have been killed just a minute after the assault on Khamenei’s residence.

According to the IDF, “the majority of the highest-ranking military officials in Iran’s security leadership have been removed.”

Other notable figures confirmed deceased include Major General Mohammad Pakpour, ex-commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps; former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh; and Ali Shamkhani, who was the former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iranian state media also reported fatalities among Khamenei’s relatives, including his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) disclosed that it had monitored Khamenei’s location for several months, just prior to the strike on his Tehran residence.

U.S. intelligence had learned that a significant meeting of senior leaders, including Khamenei, was set to occur at the site on that day.

Due to the rarity of such meetings, both the U.S. and Israel opted for a bold daytime attack to target multiple high-ranking officials simultaneously.

Israeli fighter jets reportedly took off from Israel around 6 a.m. local time and reached their target in Tehran by approximately 9:40 a.m.

On that day, 30 bombs were released on Khamenei’s compound, effectively reducing it to ruins.

In a related update, President Trump stated that U.S. military actions had “destroyed and sunk” nine Iranian naval vessels, some of which he described as “quite significant.” He added, “We will pursue the rest. They’ll soon find themselves at the bottom of the sea! In another operation, most of their naval headquarters were taken out. Aside from that, their navy seems to be doing okay!”

Despite the significant losses among political and military leadership on that day, the Islamic regime is still operational. A transitional council has formed, led by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, and Guardian Council jurist Ayatollah Alireza Alafi.

Pezeshkian indicated that the council had started its functions, while Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi stated to Al Jazeera that “constitutional procedures are being followed,” suggesting that Khamenei’s successor could be named in a matter of days.