The United States yesterday suffered its first casualties in its ongoing war with Iran after three service members were killed and five seriously wounded. “Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions—and are in the process of being returned to duty,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The deaths are coming barely 48 hours after the US and Israel launched massive bombardments against Iran and killed its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Saturday, with attacks continuing yesterday. “Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.

The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” the CENTCOM statement added. In confirming that the 86-yearold Khamenei was killed at his office, Iranian state media said he had “attained martyrdom” and announced a 40-day mourning period for the longtime Iranian leader.

However, following the confirmation of Khamenei’s death, Iran launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes yesterday, targeting US military bases in the region and Israel, state media said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) yesterday said they had successfully hit the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf with four ballistic missiles. However, CENTCOM said the aircraft carrier “was not hit.” “The missiles launched didn’t even come close.

The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” a statement said. The IRGC had earlier announced that it destroyed a sophisticated American radar system stationed in Qatar as part of its retaliatory attacks targeting US bases and assets in the region. A Saturday statement from the IRGC said the FP132 radar system, which was targeted in the attack, had a range of 5,000 km and had unique equipment to counter ballistic missiles.

According to a report by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency in 2013, the radar system was worth around $1.1 billion. The statement said the system was “completely annihilated” in the massive missile attack. Iran’s military leadership has suffered further setbacks after Chief of Staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, was reportedly killed in a fresh series of airstrikes conducted by United States and Israeli forces.

The reported death of Mousavi, a key figure in Iran’s military leadership, represents a significant blow to the country’s defence hierarchy. This development comes less than 24 hours after the confirmed killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Also reports indicate ex-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 69, was killed along with his bodyguard in an airstrike on his Tehran home during US-Israeli military strikes, according to the country’s state-owned broadcaster, ILNA.

During his eight-year term in office from 2005 to 2013, Ahmadinejad was initially the favourite of the ruling Shiite clergy as well as hardliners and conservatives in parliament. However, toward the end of his term, doubts about his policies grew. His nuclear policy led to numerous sanctions against the country and, consequently, to an economic crisis. Ahmadinejad was a vocal critic of Israel and its policies in the region.

During his presidency, Iran was internationally isolated because of its military threats against Israel. Iran has meanwhile said so far more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes on Saturday and includes 165, who died when a girls’ school was struck on the very first day. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area.

The US military said it was looking into the reports. Meanwhile, in Israel, nine people have been killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still missing after the strike, police said, as rescue crews combed the rubble. IDF spokesperson, Effie Defrin said: “Even though we have extensive operations of the IDF air defence systems, it’s still not foolproof.”

He urged people in Israel to follow instructions from the authorities and take shelter when under attack. Effie Defrin said the IDF has “severely damaged” Iran’s defence system, adding that Israel is working with the US military to continue its attack. “We’re going to continue with that campaign until we manage to achieve all the goals we have set for ourselves,” he says. In addition to the three deaths reported, Israel’s Ministry of Health says that since the start of the attack on Iran, 456 people have been taken to hospital.

Of those, 86 are still in hospital and in intensive care. The war has also seen casualties in a number of neighbouring Gulf States, with the UAE saying three people have been killed by Iranian attacks since yesterday, while in Kuwait, one person has reportedly been killed. And in Pakistan 22 were killed as protesters tried to storm the US Consulate in Karachi.