Iran should continue “blocking the Strait of Hormuz,” while the U.S. should “shut” its Middle East military bases, new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Thursday in his first speech since being elected. He is still yet to appear in public, and a broadcaster read out his words.
Four days after Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, the 56-year-old son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei finally broke his silence. In a written statement that was read out on Iranian state television, Khamenei gave his backing to the continued blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and demanded the U.S. close its regional military bases.
Khamenei also paid tribute to his father who was killed in U.S.-Israeli air strikes on February 28, as well as Iranians who have died in fighting since. “We will not forgo revenge for the blood of your martyrs,” he said.
At least five ships have now been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran persists in its attempt to stop marine traffic moving through the sea passage.
Boats with explosives, believed to be Iranian, attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters on Wednesday (11 March), killing one crew member. Meanwhile, Türkiye said on Thursday that 15 vessels from the country remained stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on Wednesday that the Iranian men’s football team would be withdrawing from the tournament set to take place in the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico, later this year.
Speaking on state television, Donyamali said the U.S.’s assassination of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meant Iran could “under no circumstances” participate in the FIFA event.
Global internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks said that Iran’s internet shutdown had entered its 13th day. The London-based independent digital rights watchdog said the blackout was one of the longest ever recorded.
Citibank announced it was closing branches in the United Arab Emirates until 14 March as a precautionary measure on Thursday.
Bloomberg meanwhile has told staff based in the Gulf, including its regional headquarters in Dubai, that they can temporarily relocate and work elsewhere.
Iran has repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks on the Gulf states since the U.S. and Israel first struck Tehran 13 days ago.
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Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II with four astronauts on a roughly 10-day mission around the Moon, marking its most ambitious human spaceflight in decades and a key step towards returning astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of China.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
With Donald Trump in attendance, the Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday heard arguments over the legality of his directive to restrict birthright citizenship.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
China's three largest state-owned airlines have issued warnings regarding their financial outlook for the current year, acknowledging that the eruption of war involving Iran has driven jet fuel prices to unsustainable highs.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
Three Armenian citizens have been charged following an alleged attempt to attack Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at St Anna Cathedral in Yerevan on 29 March. Analysts say the incident reflects rising tensions between the government and the Church ahead of upcoming elections.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is in Russia for a working visit, with talks expected to focus on bilateral and regional cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Japan and France agreed on Wednesday to coordinate closely in efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
Amid ongoing devastation in Gaza, small efforts are helping to support children affected by months of conflict. One initiative in Khan Younis offers a brief escape and a moment of relief for some of the youngest victims of the war.
The World Bank has approved a $2 billion (€1.7 billion) loan to Türkiye for a new railway line across the Bosporus, the country’s Finance Ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the European Union’s “destructive” stance in the Israel–U.S. war against Iran, calling for a more constructive approach, official sources in Tehran reported.
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