Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln stationed in the Gulf region, according to Al Jazeera. In a statement published by local media, the IRGC said the carrier was hit by four ballistic missiles and warned that land and sea would become the graveyard of aggressors. The claim came shortly after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in US and Israeli airstrikes.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed in the Arabian Sea since late January. A US official, however, denied Iran’s claim, telling Al Jazeera that no Iranian missiles struck the carrier and that its operations remain unaffected. The official confirmed that the vessel continues its mission without interruption.

The conflicting statements highlight escalating tensions between Iran and the United States following recent attacks and leadership changes in Tehran.

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served from 2005 to 2013, has reportedly been killed in an Israeli-US airstrike, according to several international media outlets. The Jerusalem Post, citing the Iranian Labour News Agency, reported on March 1 that the attack targeted Ahmadinejad’s residence in Narnak, northeast Tehran, killing him along with several of his bodyguards.

The report has not been independently verified, and Iranian authorities have not issued any official statement regarding the incident. Ahmadinejad previously held positions as governor of Ardabil province and mayor of Tehran before becoming president.

The lack of confirmation from Iranian officials leaves uncertainty about the accuracy of the reports and the broader implications for Iran’s political situation.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned recent attacks by the United States and Israel while diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program are ongoing. The condemnation came through a ministry statement issued following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

According to the statement, the attacks occurred as Oman was mediating discussions between Washington and Tehran, with the latest round of talks held in Geneva on February 26. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in the same statement that Khamenei’s path will continue, signaling policy continuity despite the leadership change.

The ministry’s remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing international focus on Iran’s nuclear activities, as well as the evolving political landscape following Khamenei’s death.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the country will choose a new supreme leader within one or two days. In an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, he confirmed that the constitutional process had begun following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and that an interim council had been formed to manage state affairs.

Araghchi explained that the transitional council, established under Iran’s constitution, includes the president, the chief justice, and a cleric from the Guardian Council. This three-member body will oversee leadership duties until a new supreme leader is selected. The responsibility for electing the new leader lies with the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which is expected to make a decision soon.

The foreign minister emphasized that all developments are proceeding in an orderly manner according to Iran’s laws and constitution. He also warned that Iran would not accept any restrictions on its right to self-defense.

Iran has raised a red flag over the Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran. The flag, hoisted on Saturday, is described by Iranian media as a symbol of vengeance and a warning of severe retaliation against enemies at home and abroad.

According to state-run Press TV, the red flag represents the blood of the Islamic Revolution’s leader and the call for justice. Religious officials and clerics reportedly carried Khamenei’s portrait during the flag-raising ceremony. The gesture mirrors a similar event in January 2020, when Iran raised the same flag after the killing of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike.

Reports indicate that the move reflects growing anger among Khamenei’s supporters and rising tensions across the Middle East. Following the attack, Iran launched strikes on US bases and fired missiles toward Israel, escalating regional hostilities.

Global oil prices jumped sharply following US and Israeli attacks in Iran, which have pushed the Middle East into renewed conflict. According to Reuters, Brent crude rose nearly 10 percent in over-the-counter trading on Sunday, reaching around 80 dollars per barrel. Analysts warned that if the current instability continues, crude prices could hit 100 dollars per barrel by Monday.

Ajay Parmar, director of energy and refining at ICIS, told Reuters that any military strike tends to drive oil prices higher, but the key concern now is the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait handles about 15 to 20 percent of the world’s total oil, condensate, and petroleum products, and over 30 percent of liquefied natural gas shipments.

Parmar added that if the Strait of Hormuz faces prolonged disruption, oil prices could rise beyond 100 dollars per barrel. The majority of oil transported through the strait goes to Asia, with the rest to Europe, including about 24 percent of China’s total LNG imports.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that Iran will continue launching strong attacks on facilities linked to Israel and the United States. According to a statement released on Sunday, he said the country’s armed forces would keep striking enemy military bases and destroying their positions, following the path set by Iran’s supreme leader.

Pezeshkian emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s military operations would persist as part of its broader defense strategy. He also referred to the martyrdom of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the ultimate result of years of sacrifice, underscoring the government’s commitment to his legacy.

The warning comes amid reports of escalating hostilities, including claims of attacks on tankers and the deaths of Iranian leaders, as well as renewed threats from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify strikes on Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed deep condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Putin issued a statement on Sunday describing the killing, which reportedly occurred in a joint US-Israel attack, as a brutal act and a severe breach of international law and moral principles.

Putin emphasized that Ayatollah Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as an outstanding statesman who made significant personal contributions to strengthening relations between Russia and Iran. The statement reflects Moscow’s strong condemnation of the incident and its solidarity with Tehran in the aftermath of the attack.

The report also noted that the strike resulted in the deaths of 30 senior Iranian officials, according to Israeli claims, and that Iran’s intelligence police chief was among those killed. The situation has heightened regional tensions and drawn international attention to the implications of the attack.

Alireza Arafi has been appointed as the legal member of Iran’s interim leadership council, according to an announcement by Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesperson for the Expediency Discernment Council. The announcement was made on Sunday, following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The interim leadership council was formed after Khamenei’s death and includes the president, the head of the judiciary, and one legal expert from the Guardian Council. Arafi’s selection fills the legal expert position within this temporary governing body, which is tasked with overseeing leadership functions during the transitional period.

The report did not specify further details about the council’s next steps or the timeline for selecting a new supreme leader.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during a joint Israel-United States attack on Iran, now in its second day. In response, Iran has launched counterstrikes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described Khamenei’s death as an open declaration of war against Muslims, particularly the Shia community.

In a written condolence message, Pezeshkian said the killing was not only an assault on Iran but on the entire Muslim nation, urging resistance against such aggression. He called the situation a major test for the Muslim world and warned that the violence was moving toward a severe escalation.

Reports from the same source also mention the death of Iran’s intelligence police chief and 30 senior Iranian officials, as claimed by Israel, while an attack attempt targeted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

Iran has appointed Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The appointment follows confirmation by Iran’s state news agency IRNA that the previous commander-in-chief, Mohammad Pakpour, was killed in an attack attributed to the United States and Israel.

The IRGC functions as Iran’s main military, political, and economic force, operating separately from the country’s regular army. Established about 45 years ago to safeguard the Islamic Revolution, the corps has grown into one of the most powerful paramilitary organizations in the Middle East. It maintains its own ground, air, and naval units and oversees Iran’s strategic weapons.

The leadership change comes amid heightened regional tensions, as reports also mention the deaths of 30 senior Iranian officials in the same attack claimed by Israel.

Iran’s senior security official Ali Larijani has issued a strong warning to the United States and Israel, declaring that both nations will face a level of force they have never experienced before. In a message posted on social media platform X, Larijani claimed that Iran had already launched missiles toward the US and Israel, which successfully hit their targets. He added that Iran would deliver an even stronger blow soon.

The warning came shortly after a statement from US President Donald Trump, who cautioned Iran against launching further attacks. Trump wrote that if Iran carried out its threat, the United States would respond with unprecedented force. The exchange of threats between Tehran and Washington has heightened concerns across the Middle East.

Analysts cited in the report said the escalating rhetoric between the two countries has intensified regional tensions, with global attention now focused on how the situation might evolve in the coming days.

Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy has said that Iran will not submit to Washington even after the killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli attack. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Mulroy described the incident, following the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as a second attempt by the United States to overthrow another country's government, though he noted that Iran’s situation differs significantly from Venezuela’s.

Mulroy explained that while Maduro managed to maintain control despite weak allies, Iran’s power structure is more complex, involving the military, the IRGC, and intelligence agencies. He warned that Iran’s recent statements suggest worsening tensions that could push the region toward full-scale war, affecting not only the United States but also Gulf nations.

He added that Iran possesses drones capable of striking buildings in Dubai and Bahrain and has supplied such drones to Russia for years. Although these drones can be shot down, Mulroy noted that they have previously bypassed security systems to hit targets.

Israel’s air force claimed on Saturday that it carried out more than 1,200 bombings in Iran during a joint operation with the United States. Among the targeted sites was a primary girls’ school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, where at least 148 people were reported killed and many others injured.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that many innocent children were killed in the school attack and vowed that Iran would respond. Iranian authorities confirmed the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Armed Forces Chief Abdul Rahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Khamenei’s security adviser Ali Shamkhani, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Mohammad Pakpour.

The report also noted that Israel claimed 30 senior Iranian officials were killed in the strikes. The incident has drawn international attention, with Russian President Vladimir Putin calling Khamenei’s killing a grave violation of international law.

Protests have spread across Iran following reports that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S. and Israeli military strike. On Sunday, thousands of people gathered at Tehran’s Revolution Square and in front of Tehran University, while large crowds also took to the streets in other Iranian cities. Demonstrators carried Iranian flags and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel.

In the holy city of Qom, hundreds assembled at the shrine of Hazrat Masumeh to condemn the attack. The flag atop the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad was draped in mourning colors. Beyond Iran, gatherings were also reported in Baghdad, Karbala, and Kashmir. According to Israeli claims cited in the report, 30 senior Iranian officials were killed in the strike.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage and mourning, with visible signs of grief and anger across multiple cities, reflecting the scale of the shock following the reported death of Iran’s top leader.