Following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel continued to pound sites in Iran on the second day of a massive joint attack by Tel Aviv and Washington on the Islamic republic, while Tehran fired back in retaliation.

There was no official word early on March 1 of further US air strikes after President Donald Trump a day earlier said Washington had begun major combat operations against Iran in one of the biggest Western attacks ever against the Middle East country.

However, a senior US defense official told RFE/RL that US strikes are "still under way" and Trump has said the "heavy and pinpoint bombing" would continue through the week or longer.

US defense chief Pete Hegsethwrote on Xthat the "Iranian regime had their chance, yet refused to make a deal and now they are suffering theconsequences."

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The strikes set the region on edge as air raid sirens wailed in across the Middle East amid retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Israel and on Arab countries hosting US military assets.

Along with the US and Israeli bombs falling in Iranian cities, celebrations were reported on the streets of Tehran and several other cities after Trump said Khamenei had been killed in the US-Israel strikes.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,"Trump wrotein a post on Truth Social on February 28. He provided no evidence to back up the claim.

"This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."

Iranian state media later confirmed the death of Khamenei. Tehran earlier had issued several denials earlier following multiple reports -- including one by Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- suggesting that the 86-year-old Khamenei was dead.