US-Israel Campaign Hits Iran in 26 Provinces as New Supreme Leader Issues First Warning

The joint US-Israeli military campaign has struck targets in at least 26 of Iran's 31 provinces, with Tehran remaining the most heavily targeted location, according to a detailed assessment published by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).

The campaign, launched on February 28, initially killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alongside dozens of senior military and security figures in a coordinated series of strikes. The scale and precision of the operation caught many regional analysts by surprise.

Iran's newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated leader, issued his first public statement this week — read out on Iranian state television as he did not appear in person. The statement warned that attacks on Israel and US military assets across the Middle East would continue until all US military bases in the region are closed. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes Khamenei is "wounded and likely disfigured."

US strikes have since expanded beyond Tehran to include the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan and surrounding areas. A joint US-Israeli attack on Isfahan on Sunday killed at least 15 people, according to local health officials.

Israel has simultaneously continued operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, targeting tunnel shafts, rocket-launching sites and detection equipment. Since Hezbollah entered the war on March 2, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 826 people and displaced more than 800,000, according to UN figures.

WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran since February 28, resulting in 8 deaths among health workers. In Lebanon, 25 attacks on healthcare have been recorded over the same period, killing 16 medical personnel.

Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters in Washington that he does not foresee US ground troops deploying inside Iran, but cautioned: "I don't see this conflict ending today."