Trump Warns ‘Better Not’… Iran’s government, vows revenge for the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Retaliates with a barrage of missiles and drones aimed at Israel and US military

Israel said Sunday it carried out a sweeping series of airstrikes targeting what it described as “the heart of Tehran,” with explosions reported across Iran’s capital.

Iran’s government, which had vowed retaliation following the killing Saturday of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded by launching a barrage of missiles and drones. The attacks were aimed at Israel, U.S. military installations in the Persian Gulf region, and locations in Dubai. Earlier in the day, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned it was preparing its “most intense offensive operation” to date, prompting a response from Donald Trump.

“They better not do that,” Trump wrote in a social media post, adding that any such move would be met with unprecedented force from the United States.

Possible talks

In an interview Sunday with The Atlantic, Trump said Iran’s new leadership has requested talks with him. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he said. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.” He did not provide details about who would participate or when discussions might begin.

In Israel

Air raid sirens sounded intermittently in Jerusalem throughout the day. Israel’s national emergency service reported that an Iranian missile strike killed at least nine people near the city and wounded at least 28 others.

Diplomatic wall

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told ABC News that Iran intends to continue its fight against the United States and Israel. He indicated that a diplomatic breakthrough appears unlikely, describing past negotiations with the U.S. over Iran’s nuclear program as “a very bitter experience.” Araghchi also accused Israel and advisers to Trump of drawing the United States into the conflict, despite what he said had been a potential path to a negotiated peace just days earlier.

The duration

Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS’ Face the Nation that U.S. strikes on Iran could continue for “probably a few weeks.” He added that Trump does not plan to deploy a large-scale ground force in Iran.

Putin responds

 In a post on Telegram, Putin described the killing as an assassination carried out “in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” Iran has become an increasingly important ally to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow relying in part on Iranian technology.