Iran sharply escalated its ballistic missile attacks on Israel early Sunday, launching multiple rapid salvos across the country after officially acknowledging the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Air sirens sounded repeatedly as the pace and intensity of strikes surpassed those seen the previous day.

Although Khamenei was reportedly killed around 8:00 a.m. Saturday in an opening wave of roughly 30 bombs, Tehran did not confirm his death until after 3:00 a.m. Sunday. The most intense missile response followed hours later, suggesting time was needed to coordinate a broader retaliation.

The scale of Sunday’s assault appeared comparable to the heaviest exchanges of June 2025, when up to 200 ballistic missiles were launched in a single round. By contrast, Saturday’s attacks were more limited, with smaller salvos spread throughout the day.

Iran began the current conflict with an estimated 2,000 ballistic missiles, though hundreds have already been fired at other regional targets hosting American bases, and additional stockpiles have been destroyed in counterstrikes. Previous fighting in June 2025 significantly reduced Iran’s missile capacity after sustained Israeli operations targeted both missiles and launchers.