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By\u00a0Jon Gambrell, Melanie Lidman, Josh Boak And Eric Tucker The Associated Press\n <\/p>\n
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014 The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on the country\u2019s ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n
Blasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior leaders, Iranian leaders have said.<\/p>\n
Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states in a counteroffensive that the U.S. military said resulted in the deaths of three service members \u2014 the first known American casualties from the conflict. Israeli rescue services said strikes had hit several locations, including Jerusalem and a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 wounded, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still missing after the strike, police said.<\/p>\n
But the attacks on Iran showed no signs of relenting as the U.S. and Israel took aim at key military, political and intelligence targets in what appeared to be a widening war that carried the potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East and destabilize it. The strikes, the second time in eight months that the U.S. and Israel had combined against Iran, represented a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an \u201cAmerica First\u201d platform and vowed to keep out<\/a> of \u201cforever wars.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would \u201cavenge\u201d the deaths of the service members and that \u201cthere will likely be more\u201d killed before the conflict ends.<\/p>\n In a video he posted on social media, Trump called the three service members \u201ctrue American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cSadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That\u2019s the way it is. Likely be more.\u201d<\/p>\n Israel, which had pledged \u201cnonstop\u201d strikes, said it was increasing its attacks, with 100 fighter jets simultaneously striking targets in Tehran, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters at a briefing. The targets included buildings belonging to Iran\u2019s air force, its missile command and its internal security force, which violently quashed anti-government protests in January.<\/p>\n The U.S. military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran\u2019s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy\u2019s headquarters had been \u201clargely destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n Europe has mostly stayed out of the war and pressed for diplomacy, but in an indication that the conflict could draw in other nations, Britain, France and Germany said Sunday they were ready to work with the U.S. to help stop Iran\u2019s attacks.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would allow the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian missile sites. The U.K. maintains nearby bases on Cyprus and the Chagos Islands, a British archipelago in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened<\/a> Iran\u2019s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.<\/p>\n Trump, who a day earlier had encouraged Iranians to \u201ctake over\u201d their government, signaled Sunday that he was open to dialogue with Iran\u2019s new leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,\u201d he told The Atlantic.<\/p>\n Streets of Tehran are largely deserted<\/p>\n In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump\u2019s call for an uprising against the government.<\/p>\n The streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution. The paramilitary Basij<\/a>, which has played a central role in crushing protests, set up checkpoints across the city, they said.<\/p>\n Two powerful explosions were heard in Tehran\u2019s Niavaran neighborhood late Sunday.<\/p>\n An eyewitness in the city told AP that the windows of their apartment shook violently, and residents came out onto the streets fearing it was too dangerous to stay inside. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Video footage from Tehran showed plumes of smoke filling the skyline, and the official IRNA news agency reported that parts of the building of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) were struck Sunday.<\/p>\n In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed Saturday when a girls\u2019 school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, IRNA reported. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.<\/p>\n The U.S. military did not provide details about the three service members who were killed or about five others who were seriously wounded. It said several others suffered minor injuries and concussions.<\/p>\n Iran says new leadership is in place<\/p>\n