Chapter 1: What led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei?
President Trump says Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead. This comes after U.S. and Israeli forces bombarded targets across Iran. Iran has retaliated with attacks throughout the Middle East. And given these historic events, we're dropping our National Security Podcast sources and methods in the feed today. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Chapter 2: How did President Trump confirm Khamenei's death?
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader since 1989, is dead, killed today by Israeli strikes. President Trump confirmed the death in a statement posted to Truth Social. No confirmation, at least of this hour, from Iran.
Chapter 3: What military actions did the U.S. and Israel take against Iran?
Khamenei's death would mark the biggest development today on a day when the headlines have just kept coming. Here's how President Trump shared the news of airstrikes from Mar-a-Lago.
A short time ago... The United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.
So as you heard there, strikes today by both Israel and the U.S. As the day unfolded, Iran hit back, lobbying missiles at Israel, also at Saudi Arabia, also at Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, a whole list of countries that host U.S. troops. NPR reporters have been working the phones all day today trying to confirm what we know and what we don't.
Among them, our national security correspondent, Greg Myrie. in the studio with me here in Washington. Hey, Greg.
Hi, Mary Louise.
And Daniel Estrin, who was woken up today by air raid sirens in Tel Aviv. Hey, Daniel.
Hi there.
Hey, so Daniel, kick us off. The first reports, the first confirmation of Khamenei's death came from a source briefed on the strike and who talked to you. Would you just walk us through the TikTok today of trying to confirm this really stunning news?
Well, what we know is that the opening attack that Israel carried out this morning along with the U.S. included this surprise blitz targeting senior Iranian defense officials and Israeli military official briefed reporters and said that the U.S. and Israel had been looking for the right opportunity and found it. Three different gatherings simultaneously are what Israel struck this morning and
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Chapter 4: How did Iran respond to the airstrikes?
Daniel, what are Israeli officials saying? Has Prime Minister Netanyahu given any sense of how far along in this operation he thinks things are?
Well, all they're saying is that it's going to take as long as necessary. And the Israelis have announced that already today they carried out the largest aerial operation, the largest Air Force operation in Israeli history with around 200 fighter jets. So a real blitz at the very beginning.
A person briefed on this operation has told me that we're expecting another couple of days of intense fighting. strikes in Iran and retaliatory strikes in Israel as well. So we're looking at Sunday and Monday at least. And it could go on for many more days.
So President Trump, when he spoke to Americans today, he was facing cameras. He was in Mar-a-Lago. He was addressing Americans about an American military action. He also had a message for Iran.
To the great proud people of Iran. I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.
Greg Myrie, how should we understand this? The president of the United States calling on the people of Iran, rise up.
Sounds like regime change. And that really just jumped out at me when I first listened to this, because this is the first time Trump really revealed what he wants. He'd been very vague and fuzzy about that. Also, it goes against what he's been saying for a decade, that he doesn't want to get the U.S. involved in open-ended talks. forever wars.
And in the Middle East, the two previous wars were Iran to the West, Iraq and Afghanistan. He's picked the country right between them to launch another major military operation.
So we are, of course, working to get reaction from inside Iran, try to figure out what is happening there. I was swapping messages on WhatsApp this morning with contacts on the ground in Tehran. They were not willing to go on the record, but The fact that they could respond, they are on the Internet, or at least were at that hour. They have access to social media if they're behind a VPN.
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