US and Israel Kill Khamenei in Operation Roaring Lion

The United States and Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, 2026, a joint military campaign targeting Iranian leadership, nuclear facilities, and missile programs. The strikes resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his family, and several top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Armed Forces. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the objective of the operation is regime change, with Trump urging Iranian citizens to take over their government.

In the resulting power vacuum, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi positioned himself as a transitional leader. He unveiled the Iran Prosperity Project, a roadmap proposing a new constitution ratified by referendum and internationally supervised elections to establish a secular democracy. Pahlavi also proposed the Cyrus Accords to establish diplomatic and economic cooperation with Israel and called for the total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program. To support the transition, he urged Iranian security forces to defect and called for nightly street protests to overthrow the remaining government.

President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by announcing that Iran's armed forces would maintain a strong military response, including strikes against enemy bases. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched further waves of Operation Sincere Promise 4, while an interim Leadership Council assumed duties to maintain the path set by the previous Supreme Leader. Additionally, Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against multiple Arab countries in the region.