Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's next supreme leader, Iranian state media reports
He is the son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His successor is yet to be named.
Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
(Read previous Iran live updates here.)
Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Key Headlines
- Iran’s near-total internet blackout continues, tracker says
- Israel warns of strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs
- Israel says its working to intercept Iranian missiles
- Iranian missiles, drones targeting UAE, ministry says
- US orders evacuation of non-emergency government employees from Saudi Arabia
- More missile and drone attacks reported in the region
Trump misinterpreted 'our capabilities, determination and intent,' Iran foreign minister says
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's openness to de-escalation is "provided that our neighbors'" airspace, territory and waters are not used to attack the Iranian People," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Saturday.
Araghchi also criticized President Donald Trump saying that he misinterpreted "our capabilities, determination and intent."
"Responsibility for any intensification of Iran's exercise of self-defense will lie squarely with the U.S. Administration," Araghchi said.
He also pointed out the cost to the U.S. and that the American people "have ended up with an Administration that Netanyahu, after decades of failed attempts, finally managed to dupe into fighting Israel's wars."
Iran accuses US of targeting desalination plant
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi is accusing the U.S. of "attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island" disrupting the water supply to 30 villages.
He warned, "attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran."
Gulf countries rely heavily on desalination for their freshwater needs.
Trump says US will be keeping deaths in Iran 'to a minimum'
President Donald Trump began remarks at a gathering with Latin American leaders on Saturday in Florida by providing an update on the conflict in Iran.
Trump also previewed his travel this afternoon to Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of six fallen U.S. soldiers -- marking the return home of the first American soldiers killed in the war with Iran.
Trump said there’s “always” death when it comes to war, but that “we're going to keep it to a minimum.”
"I'll be leaving for Dover, very sad situation. To greet the families of the heroes who are coming home from Iran. They're coming home in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home, but they're great heroes in our country. And we're going to keep it that way," Trump said.
"And there's always, when it comes to war, there's always that. But we're going to keep it to a minimum,” Trump added.
Trump told the grouping of Western Hemisphere leaders that "tremendous progress" has been made in Iran.
-ABC News' Isabella Murray
IDF says it completed 'broad wave of strikes' across Tehran overnight, including Mehrabad Airport
The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it had "completed a broad wave of strikes" overnight across Iran's capital and on military infrastructure located at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.
"'Mehrabad Airport' was used by the Quds Force of the IRGC and served as a central hub for arming and funding the regime’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East. Aircraft loaded with weapons and cash took off from the airport numerous times and landed across the region for the use of the Iranian terror regime’s proxies," the IDF claimed in a statement.
"The strike on the military infrastructure at the airport not only disrupts the regime’s ability to arm Iran, but also terror proxies throughout the Middle East," the IDF claimed.
-ABC News' Dorit Long