A yacht sails past a plume of smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. Fresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday morning after a day of Iran strikes in the region in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.
Fadel Senna | Afp | Getty Images
- The United States and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran overnight Saturday.
- The U.S.-Israel attack came after Iran refused American demands that it reduce its nuclear program.
- Iran launched counterattacks against multiple cities in the Middle East, including Jerusalem.
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, Iranian state media confirmed.
- More than 1,400 flights in and out of Middle East destinations are canceled on Sunday.
- Congress aims to vote on war powers resolution in the coming week.
Iran's retaliation is intensifying after U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering one of the most consequential moments for the Islamic Republic since 1979.
Tehran has launched counterattacks across Israel and several Gulf states that host U.S. assets, with explosions reported in multiple cities and damage to key infrastructure. Airports have suspended operations, flights across the Middle East have been disrupted, and governments are scrambling to assess the security fallout.
The escalation comes as Iran begins a formal succession process to replace Khamenei, only the second leadership transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. While some Iranians have expressed hope for change, analysts caution that leadership change does not automatically mean regime change.
Markets, policymakers and regional leaders are now watching closely to see how far the conflict spreads, and whether the power shift in Tehran alters Iran's political trajectory or further entrenches its security-first stance. Follow here for live updates.
CNBC's reporters are covering the strikes from our bureaus in Washington; London; Singapore; San Francisco; and Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Trump warns Iran against retaliation, vows using force “never been seen before”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Washington would respond with unprecedented force if Iran retaliates against recent U.S. strikes.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before," adding, "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"
Iran after Khamenei: What's next and what it means for the world?
The death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sets in motion a formal succession process that could have significant implications for the country's political stability, sanctions outlook and already strained economy.
However, analysts warned that elimination of the supreme leader does not equal transformation.
"Taking out Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not the same as regime change. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the regime," the Council on Foreign Relations noted following his passing, limiting the prospects for immediate political or economic transformation.
Marko Papic, chief strategist at Clocktower Group, echoed a similar views: "The Iranian economy is soon to be a parking lot unless the next Supreme Leader is more amenable to negotiating with the U.S."
Airports in Gulf states, hotel damaged as Iran retaliates against U.S.-Israeli strikes
Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were damaged overnight as Iranian retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf states.
"An incident" at Dubai International Airport (DXB) left four staff injured, according to a social media post by the emirate's media office.
Most airport terminals had been cleared of passengers, the authority said, adding that further updates will be provided as they become available.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi also reported an interception of a drone that targeted the Zayed International airport, killing an Asian national and leaving seven injured.
Iran has responded to the U.S.-Israel strikes by targeting Israel and multiple Gulf states, including UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan that host U.S. assets.
An intercepted Iranian drone reportedly caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab's outer facade.
One of the berths at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port also caught fire because of debris resulting from an aerial interception, according to local media reports, citing Dubai authorities.
Iran hit by near-total internet blackout as conflict intensifies
Iran experienced a near-total internet shutdown starting around 2 a.m. ET Saturday, according to independent internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The organization, which uses network measurement and web traffic analytics to detect government-imposed outages, reported that national connectivity fell to just 4% of normal levels.
Posting on X, NetBlocks said the disruption coincided with U.S. and Israeli military operations and resembled restrictions imposed during last year's conflict with Israel.
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps chief dies in U.S.-Israeli attack: reports
Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps died in the U.S.-Israeli attack against Tehran on Saturday, the country's official news agency reported. Ali Shamkhani, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme Defense Council, was also killed.
"We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us," U.S. President Donald Trump said in the aftermath of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death.
