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Israeli officials have reported killing roughly 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures in a coordinated wave of airstrikes that also led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Yesterday, the United States and Israel launched a coordinated military campaign across Iran to strike critical infrastructure and command nodes. US forces concentrated on degrading Iran’sstrategic military capabilities, targeting missile systems, air defenses, naval assets, and facilities tied to weapons development in an effort to degrade Iran’s retaliatory capacity. Israeli forces, operating in close synchronization, focused more heavily on high-value leadership compounds and command centers in what officials described as a decapitation-style strategy aimed at disrupting Iran’s chain of command.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Israeli officials speaking to multiple media outlets claim that more than 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures were eliminated in the strikes, describing the operation as one of the most extensive “decapitation” efforts in modern military history. According to the Israeli military, those killed include Ali Shamkhani, a senior political and security adviser to the supreme leader; Mohammad Pakpour, a top commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Saleh Asadi, head of a key intelligence directorate; Mohammad Shirazi, who oversaw the military bureau of the supreme leader; and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Israeli officials said multiple high-level meetings were targeted simultaneously after intelligence services identified a rare gathering of senior figures in Tehran, accelerating the strike timeline to capitalize on what they called a “target of opportunity.”

Israeli sources claimed the strikes were carried out with deep intelligence penetration of Iran’s security establishment, allowing aircraft to hit leadership compounds and secure facilities with precision.

At the same time, reports of civilian casualties have emerged. Iranian state media said strikes hit residential areas and claimed that at least 40 people were killed at a girls’ school in southern Iran, with some reports later placing the number significantly higher and alleging that children were among the dead. Those claims have not been independently verified, and US officials have said they are reviewing reports of civilian harm while maintaining that the operation was directed at military and regime targets.

This all comes as US officials signal that the operation may extend well beyond its opening phase. While the Pentagon has not outlined a precise timeline, lawmakers briefed on the campaign have indicated it is expected to continue for more than a week, with Senator Tom Cotton stating that sustained strikes are likely as long as necessary to achieve military objectives.