Iran Admits Khamenei Is Dead. A New Government Is Being Built Under Fire.
The morning briefing on Khamenei's confirmed death, Iran's interim council, spreading missile strikes across the region, and the accountability questions nobody in Washington is answering.
Twenty-four hours after the bombs fell, Iran is a country without its supreme leader for the first time in 37 years — and it is trying to hold together under continuous bombardment.
Iranian state television confirmed Sunday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Saturday’s strikes on his Tehran compound, marking the first time in 37 years the country is without its supreme leader. The government declared 40 days of national mourning and activated a constitutional succession mechanism as new explosions were reported in the capital. Under Iran’s charter, a three-member interim leadership council now governs until the Assembly of Experts selects a permanent successor. That council was formally constituted Sunday.
The council is governing under extraordinarily difficult conditions. Iran International reported that the military command structure remains fractured — some lower-ranking personnel still refusing to report to bases. The IRGC’s top commander was among those killed Saturday, and its next leader has not yet been publicly named. At the same time, Iran’s retaliatory capabilities have not collapsed. Iranian missiles and drones continued hitting Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and now Oman through Sunday morning. An Iranian missile struck the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh Sunday, killing at least eight people. Israel’s air force struck Tehran again overnight.
The Iranian government is projecting resolve while quietly trying to prevent institutional collapse. Whether those two things can coexist is the question that shapes everything that comes next.
Quick Hits
- Pope Leo XIV Calls for End to "Spiral of Violence" — Pope Leo XIV — the Catholic Church's first American-born pope — called on all parties Sunday to "stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm," addressing a crowd in St. Peter's Square. [Source]
- Germany Warns of Iranian Sleeper Cell Threat in Europe — The head of Germany's parliamentary intelligence oversight panel said Sunday that "retaliatory measures, including by Iranian sleeper cells in Europe, cannot be ruled out" following Khamenei's killing, and called for security measures to be adapted. [Source]
- U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Closed — Shelter in Place for Americans in Israel — The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a Sunday alert ordering all American government personnel and their families to shelter in place, closing the embassy and consular sections in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv through at least Monday. Ben Gurion Airport remained closed to all traffic. [Source]
What to Watch For
Markets open at 6:00 PM ET — the oil price response will be the first hard economic data point from this conflict and could set the tone for the week.
Iran’s succession clock: The Assembly of Experts must now move “as soon as possible” to name a permanent Supreme Leader. Who emerges — and whether they want escalation or an exit — is the war’s central unknown.
Congressional authorization fight: The war powers resolution fight is live on Capitol Hill. Watch whether leadership schedules a vote this week, and how many Republicans break with Trump.
Day Three strike scope: Whether U.S. and Israeli strikes expand beyond military and leadership targets into infrastructure will signal whether this is a decapitation campaign or the beginning of something longer.
European sleeper cell posture: Germany’s warning is now public. Watch whether the UK, France, and other European governments issue similar alerts or raise threat levels.
By The Numbers
People killed in a single Iranian missile strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh Sunday morning, the deadliest confirmed Iranian strike on Israeli civilians since the conflict began.
Number of senior Iranian officials and regime figures killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strike on Saturday, according to Israeli and U.S. intelligence sources.
Iranian drones fired at Israel since Saturday, with 506 intercepted and 35 falling within Israeli territory causing damage and casualties.
Iranian missiles destroyed by UAE air defenses on Saturday alone, alongside 195 intercepted drones. Three people have been killed in the UAE since strikes began.
Quote of the Day
Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, addressing Trump and Netanyahu from state television: "You have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg."
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/01/g-s1-112062/iran-fires-missiles
Bottom Line
Forty-eight hours ago, Iran and the United States were negotiating a nuclear deal in Geneva. Today, Iran is without a supreme leader for the first time since 1989, governed by an emergency council under active bombardment. Iranian missiles continue striking Israeli cities, Gulf airports, and the port of the country that had been attempting to broker peace. Trump says the bombing will continue “throughout the week or as long as necessary.” Congress has not voted. Markets have not opened. This is Day Two.