The killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pushed the Middle East into a moment few believed they would ever see. Within hours, Washington and Tehran were trading claims, not only about bombs but about quiet backchannel talks that may never have existed in the first place.
The United States and Israeli airstrikes hit targets across Iran, killing Khamenei and at least 40 senior officials, according to live updates. Casualties were also reported in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and Lebanon as the region braced for retaliation and waited for signs of what would follow.
