Israel claimed on Sunday that nearly 50 senior leaders of the Iranian regime have been eliminated since strikes began, while launching what it described as renewed operations targeting military and government infrastructure across the country. The Iranian government, far from collapsing, continued its own strikes on Israeli territory and US targets in Gulf states, Iraq, and Jordan.

A top Iranian security official announced that an interim government would be formed on Sunday, signaling that the regime is attempting to maintain institutional continuity despite the loss of Khamenei. Analysts warn that while the US appears to be betting on a swift regime collapse, the power vacuum could instead produce a more aggressive and unpredictable leadership.

The regional fallout has been severe. Iranian retaliatory strikes on Persian Gulf countries have cracked the carefully cultivated safe-haven image of states like the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, threatening their reputations for security and economic openness that have driven decades of foreign investment and expatriate settlement.

US defense contractors on military bases in Kuwait reported inadequate bunker facilities and pay cuts, with employees of V2X Inc saying they have received limited communication about safety and evacuation protocols. UK Defence Secretary John Healey described the Iranian regime as "evil" while noting the "real and rising threat" it poses, though the military action has divided political opinion in Britain and across Europe.

Australians have been left stranded across the Middle East as commercial flights remain disrupted, adding to the growing humanitarian dimension of the conflict.