U.S. Fleet-to-Shore Missiles Launched for Iranian Attack [Screenshot from U.S. Central Command's X Account]

The surprise joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel against Iran on the 28th (Eastern Time) began in two prongs at 1:15 AM (9:45 AM Iran time).

The United States targeted Iran's nuclear and missile facilities, while Israel focused on the residences of regime leaders, including Ayatollah Khamenei. The U.S. operation was codenamed 'Magnificent Fury,' and Israel's was codenamed 'Roaring Lion.'

Upon President Donald Trump's authorization of the attack, fighter jets launched from aircraft carriers in Iranian waters, warships and destroyers stationed at sea, and Tomahawk missiles and suicide drones were launched from land bases in the Middle East.

The United States had deployed the largest scale of firepower in the vicinity of Iran since the start of the Iraq War in 2003. Two aircraft carriers (Abraham Lincoln, Gerald R. Ford) and dozens of fighter jets were stationed at an air base in Jordan, while destroyers and coastal attack ships were on standby in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, loaded with fleet-to-shore missiles.

Hundreds of missiles and drones launched from these positions flew to pre-set coordinates. Targets included command and control facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that precision munitions were deployed from air, ground, and sea during the initial hours of the operation, and Task Force Scorpion Strike, under CENTCOM, operated low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat.

While the U.S. and Israeli militaries have not yet announced the exact scale of the attacks, according to U.S. media reports, explosions from airstrikes were witnessed in 10 to 12 Iranian cities. These included the capital Tehran in the central region, as well as Karaj and Qom; Tabriz, Urmia, Zanjan, and Kermanshah in the north and west; Lorestan; and Shiraz, Bushehr, and Minab in the south.

The Iranian Red Crescent announced that damage occurred in 24 out of Iran's 31 provinces due to the airstrikes, reporting at least 201 Iranian citizens killed and 747 injured, according to AP and other news agencies.

CNN reported that targets of the airstrikes included Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, and Secretary of the Defense Committee Ali Shamkhani.

In particular, the fate of Supreme Leader Khamenei is a subject of intense interest. Satellite images showing the destruction of the residences of Khamenei and other high-ranking Iranian officials in a secure area of Tehran have been released, with U.S. and Israeli media unanimously reporting Khamenei's death.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose forces were responsible for "assassinating key figures" in this airstrike operation, claimed in a video address that the decapitation strike was successful, stating, "There are many signs that Khamenei is no more." Iranian authorities, however, have denied this, calling it "enemy psychological warfare."

Reuters reported that Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour appear to have been killed.

Iran also launched counterattacks against the United States and Israel, but the extent of the damage identified so far appears minimal.

Iran launched missiles and drones targeting major Israeli cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv multiple times, but most were intercepted by air defense systems, with reports of minor injuries.

Iran also simultaneously attacked 14 U.S. military bases in the Middle East with missiles and drones. While the IRGC claimed at least 200 U.S. service members were killed or wounded, U.S. Central Command stated, "No U.S. casualties or combat-related injuries have been reported," adding, "Damage to U.S. facilities was minimal and did not impact operations."

President Trump monitored the situation from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida during the airstrikes and also spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to the White House.

Bombing of Alleged Khamenei Residence Area [Reuters Yonhap News]