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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Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the plans on 21 October, with major changes to training, oversight and defence capabilities set to begin in 2027.
Iranian officials have stepped up warnings of retaliation amid the threat of renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes, while signalling that a diplomatic solution remains possible if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to rebuilding trust.
Investing in children means more than funding schools and hospitals. At a major international summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leaders and experts called for a joined-up approach to healthcare, education and social protection to improve children's lives.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have unveiled a strategic partnership to deepen trade, defence and energy ties, marking a major step in relations between the two NATO allies.
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