Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
We are pausing our live coverage of the Middle East conflict and will be back tomorrow.
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Have a good rest of the day, stay safe and see you tomorrow.
Both leaders spoke on the phone and discussed the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers.
It comes after stinging public criticism from President Trump (see 04.31).
Emmanuel Macron called the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, today (8 March).
The French president expressed his country’s solidarity and support for Azerbaijan after Iranian strikes hit the country earlier in the week.
Macron also expressed his gratitude to Aliyev for the safe evacuation of French citizens in Iran through Azerbaijan.
The IRCS says 1,332 Iranians have been killed in US-Israeli attacks so far. The conflict started on Saturday 28th February.
In a post on X, the Ministry of Interior said that Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Imad Al-Sharrah and Captain Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Majmoud were killed "while performing duties".
In a statement, the IDF says it will continue to 'pursue every successor' of Khamenei and those who choose him. The next leader is expected to be announced today, however an in-person meeting can't be held to ratify the decision (see 06.43).
(Translation below)
پس از خنثیسازی خامنهای ستمگر، رژیم تروریستی ایران تلاش میکند خود را بازسازی کرده و رهبر جدیدی انتخاب کند.
مجلس خبرگان ایران که دهها سال است تشکیل جلسه نداده، بهزودی در شهر قم گرد هم خواهد آمد. میخواهیم به شما بگوئیم که دست کشور اسرائیل همچنان هر جانشین و هر کسی را که در پی… — ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) March 8, 2026
Translated into English according to Grok AI: After neutralizing the tyrant Khamenei, the terrorist regime of Iran is attempting to rebuild itself and select a new leader. Iran's Assembly of Experts, which has not convened for decades, will soon gather in the city of Qom. We want to tell you that the hand of the State of Israel will continue to pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor. We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning!
Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri said a majority consensus had been reached, according to Mehr news agency.
UPDATE:
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, another member of the Assembly of Experts, says a candidate had been picked and that the U.S (whom Mohsen calls the 'Great Satan') has mentioned his name. Heidari Alekasir says the decision is based on the late supreme leader's advice that Iran's top leader should "be hated by the enemy" instead of praised by it.
He continues by saying that an in-person meeting by the assembly for a final vote was not possible under current conditions.
These comments came in video released by Nournews on Sunday.
Israel's military say it is responsible for the “significant strike” of an oil storage facility in Iran's capital Tehran (see video below). Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it retaliated by launching missiles at an oil refinery in Haifa, Israel.
The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait's military say their air defence systems are intercepting missiles and drones launched from Iran on Sunday, AFP is reporting.
The commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, Esmail Qaani, has safely returned to Israel. Reports say he was instrumental in the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last weekend and has previously helped been behind the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department, Thomas Pigott released the following statement:
"The United States strongly condemns the unprovoked drone attack on March 5 by the Iranian regime against the Republic of Azerbaijan, targeting Nakhchivan International Airport and a children’s school, which injured innocent civilians and caused damage to critical civilian infrastructure.
These strikes are a flagrant violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and a needless escalation of Iran’s aggression. The United States stands in full solidarity with Azerbaijan against these threats. Attacks on the territory of our partners in the region are unacceptable and will be met with resolute U.S. support for those partners."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan responded through the Azerbaijan agency Report:
"We highly appreciate the statement of the United States Department of State condemning the drone attacks carried out by Iran against the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and expressing solidarity with our country,
Through this statement, the US side has demonstrated to the whole world its support for its partners. The position expressed by the United States fully corresponds to the letter and spirit of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United States of America, signed on February 10 this year.
On such a tense period, many countries have demonstrated their support and solidarity with Azerbaijan. We are grateful to each and every one of them. Obviously, the support shown by the United States, the most powerful country in the world, carries particular significance.
We express our gratitude to the United States for the demonstrated principled position."
Welcome to AnewZ's coverage of day eight of the conflict that started with the United States and Israel bombing Iran and killing its Supreme Leader, plunging the country into a leadership crisis.
The U.S. President says the UK was once America's greatest ally but is no longer under the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
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Concerns grew on Monday (20 April) that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, due to expire on Tuesday, might not hold after Washington’s Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports, with Tehran vowing to retaliate.
Lebanon and Israel have a “fundamentally incompatible” understanding of the ceasefire agreed on Thursday (16 April), Dr Nouran El-Bayaa has said.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after a commercial ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, as Israel warns south Lebanon residents to avoid restricted areas.
Progessive Bulgaria, led by pro-Russian Eurosceptic Rumen Radev is on track to form Bulgaria’s next government, after official results showed a runaway victory for the coalition in the Balkan nation's parliamentary elections on Monday (20 April).
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan met a senior NATO envoy in Yerevan to discuss expanding cooperation the presidential office said.
Kyrgyzstan plans to expand its nationwide video surveillance system, with up to 20,000 cameras set to be installed, President Sadyr Zhaparov has announced.
Turkish authorities are mulling new measures to protect children from dangerous online content after the country was shaken last week by two separate school shootings.
Five Central Asian states are launching a $30 million programme to tackle water scarcity and land degradation, as climate pressures and rising demand sharpen risks across the region.
Georgia has been named among a growing number of states accused of targeting critics beyond their borders, according to a new report by Freedom House. The finding raises questions about the country’s recent political trajectory and international standing.
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