TEHRAN / TEL AVIV — The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has launched a massive new wave of precision strikes targeting the “heart of Tehran” on Sunday, March 1, 2026. According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the operation is aimed at dismantling the remaining command-and-control infrastructure of what it describes as the “Iranian terrorist regime” following the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
The IDF, operating under the guidance of its Intelligence Directorate, stated that the ongoing aerial campaign is designed to establish “total air superiority” over the Iranian capital. Over the past 24 hours, Israeli jets have extensively targeted government buildings, intelligence hubs, and military installations in central Tehran to clear a path for sustained operations. “The Air Force has attacked extensively to open the way to Tehran and neutralise the immediate threats posed by the regime’s leadership,” an IDF spokesperson was quoted as saying by TPSIL.
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that fresh explosions have been heard in several residential areas of Tehran, condemning the developments as “ongoing US-Israeli aggression.” The Iranian capital remains under a cloud of thick smoke as emergency services struggle to respond to the multiple strike sites. Despite the intense bombardment, Iran is officially observing its first day of 40 days of national mourning for Ayatollah Khamenei. Flags remain at half-mast across the city, though the planned public gatherings to pay respects have been severely disrupted by the active combat situation.
The geopolitical fallout has reached a fever pitch as the Trump administration continues to defend the initial strike as a necessary measure to thwart an “imminent threat” to global security. In response, Iran has already launched several rounds of retaliatory missile attacks against U.S. bases in the Gulf and Israeli cities. As the IAF continues its “broad wave” of attacks, the focus within Iran’s internal security apparatus has shifted to an emergency succession process, even as the country’s major cities remain a battlefield in what is now the most significant direct military confrontation in the region’s history.
