Iran: Israel attacks 'heart of Tehran' as conflict spreads across Gulf region

DW News · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Skip next section Israel says it is 'not aware' of strike on Iranian girls' schoolMarch 1, 2026Israel says it is 'not aware' of strike on Iranian girls' schoolA screen grab from Iranian state TV purportedly shows the aftermath of a strike on a girls' primary school in the southern Hormozgan provinceImage: IRIB TV/AFPThe Israeli military has said that it is "not aware" of a strike by Israeli or US forces on a girls' school in southern Iran. Iranian state media and Iran's Red Crescent reported on Saturday that as many as 108 female pupils were killed when a school in Minab was hit in an air strike. Dozens more were reportedly wounded. "No Israeli or American attacks there are known to us at this point in time," IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told a press conference on Sunday. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), meanwhile, has said it is "deeply concerned" by the bombings. "There are reports of attacks on schools in Iran, including a girls' school in Minab," the German office of the children's aid organization said in Cologne. "Attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including schools, constitute a violation of international law." The reports cannot be independently verified. DW was officially restricted in Iran in October 2022. https://p.dw.com/p/59cgbSkip next section EU stands 'in full solidarity with Jordan' following Iranian strikesMarch 1, 2026EU stands 'in full solidarity with Jordan' following Iranian strikesEuropean Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen stressed the EU's "full solidarity" with Jordan, one of the Middle Eastern countries hit by Iranian retaliatory strikes on US assets in the region. In a statement on X, von der Leyen described Jordan as a "precious partner for Europe in the region [that] will play a key role in the period ahead." "With Khamenei gone, there is renewed hope for the people of Iran. We must ensure that the future is theirs to claim and shape," the EU Commission chief said, warning that "at the same time, this moment carries a real risk of instability that could push the region into a spiral of violence." https://p.dw.com/p/59cgrSkip next section Khamenei's killing a 'cynical violation' of morality — Russia's PutinMarch 1, 2026Khamenei's killing a 'cynical violation' of morality — Russia's PutinRussian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid attacks by the US and Israel as a "cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law." In a letter of condolence to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin said Khamenei "will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made an enormous personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations." He asked Pezeshkian to "convey my most sincere sympathy and support to the relatives and loved ones of the supreme leader, to the government and to the entire people of Iran." Iran has remained one of Russia's closest allies despite Moscow's illegal invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. The two countries signed a strategic partnership treaty in 2025 aimed at strengthening ties and military cooperation. https://p.dw.com/p/59ch2Skip next section WATCH — Iranians cheer, mourn Khamenei's deathMarch 1, 2026WATCH — Iranians cheer, mourn Khamenei's deathThorkil RotheWhile some Iranians took to the streets cheering with joy and playing celebratory music after reports of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's killing, others gathered in the center of Iran's capital to mourn. Iranians cheer, mourn Khamenei's deathTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/59cZWSkip next section Death of Khamenei 'defining moment in Iran's history' — EU's KallasMarch 1, 2026Death of Khamenei 'defining moment in Iran's history' — EU's KallasThe EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has said the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might lead to a "different Iran" in which the Iranian people could have a greater say. "The death of Ali Khamenei is a defining moment in Iran’s history," she wrote on X. "What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape," she added. Kallas said she was in contact with partners both in the region and elsewhere "to find practical steps for de-escalation." https://p.dw.com/p/59cg0Skip next section Cleric Alireza Arafi appointed to interim leadership councilMarch 1, 2026Cleric Alireza Arafi appointed to interim leadership councilAlireza Arafi, 67, will lead Iran as part of a three-man interim council until a new permanent leader is elected [FILE]Image: irna.irAyatollah Alireza Arafi has been appointed to Iran's interim leadership council following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the US and Israel on Saturday. "The Expediency Discernment Council has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council," expediency council spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi said on X. The interim council will lead Iran in the wake of Khamenei's death until the Assembly of Experts "elects a permanent leader as soon as possible," Iranian state media reported. Arafi, a cleric who is a member of the powerful Guardian Council, will be part of the temporary leadership alongside President ⁠Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice ⁠Gholamhossein ​Mohseni Ejei. https://p.dw.com/p/59cbfSkip next section WATCH — Who was Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei?March 1, 2026WATCH — Who was Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei?Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presided over a complex theocratic system that was enforced brutally at home and sought to influence power in other Middle Eastern countries. Khamenei rose from young cleric to Iran’s supreme leader, shaping the Islamic Republic for decades. He expanded state control, empowered the Revolutionary Guard and crushed mass protests, from the 2009 Green Movement to the 2022 uprising. In 2025, amid Israeli and US strikes, he vanished from public view, leaving a power vacuum. Iran's Ali Khamenei killed in US-Israel attackTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/59cUCSkip next section Iranian security chief Larijani vows 'unforgettable lesson' to US, IsraelMarch 1, 2026Iranian security chief Larijani vows 'unforgettable lesson' to US, IsraelThe head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has warned the US and Israel that his country will strike back with unprecedented force in response to their attacks. "The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors," he said. He also placed a post on X that seemed to deliberately imitate the style and rhetoric used by US President Donald Trump in his online statements. "YESTERDAY IRAN FIRED MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND THEY DID HURT. TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE." Larijani, 67, was an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on talks with the US regarding Tehran's nuclear program. His warning comes as Trump has threatened to unleash a "force that has never been seen before" against Iran if it continued with its retaliatory attacks. https://p.dw.com/p/59cZESkip next section Baghdad sees protests at Khamenei killingMarch 1, 2026Baghdad sees protests at Khamenei killingShiite protesters gathered at the entrance to the so-called Green Zone in BaghdadImage: Thaier Al-Sudani/REUTERSPro-Iranian protesters who tried to enter the heavily fortified government district containing the US Embassy in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, on Sunday were met by a violent response from security forces, eyewitnesses said. Security forces reportedly used batons, live ammunition, tear gas and water cannons to prevent the hundreds of demonstrators entering the so-called Green Zone. The protests came in response to the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Shouts of "Death to Israel, death to America" were heard from some protesters. Baghdad has declared three days of mourning over Khamenei's death. Iraq, along with Pakistan, has the world's largest Shiite Muslim population after Iran. https://p.dw.com/p/59cYiSkip next section Iran's chief of army staff, defense minister killedMarch 1, 2026Iran's chief of army staff, defense minister killedIsrael and the US have been targeting Iran's security leadershipImage: Iranian Supreme Leader'S Office/ZUMA/picture allianceIran's chief of army staff General Abdol Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh have been killed in the US-Israel air strikes on the country, Iranian state TV and Israel's military said Sunday. Mousavi and Nasirzadeh had been in a "Defense Council meeting" on Saturday alongside Revolutionary Guard chief Mohammad Pakpour and head of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, whose deaths Iran had earlier announced. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that its forces had killed Mousavi, along with seven other members of Iran's security leadership and 40 senior commanders. https://p.dw.com/p/59c0ySkip next section IN PICTURES — Regional tensions flare as Iran hits back after US-Israeli strikesMarch 1, 2026IN PICTURES — Regional tensions flare as Iran hits back after US-Israeli strikeshttps://p.dw.com/p/59cWSSkip next section Strait of Hormuz halts after US-Israel attack on IranMarch 1, 2026Strait of Hormuz halts after US-Israel attack on IranUS President Trump has carried out his threat to attack Iran. What does this mean for the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil chokepoint at the mouth of the Persian Gulf? Read more on what the latest escalation means for global shipping and energy in this report. https://p.dw.com/p/59cMESkip next section WATCH — Iranian state media confirm Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's deathMarch 1, 2026WATCH — Iranian state