Trump says decision to end Iran war will be ‘mutual’ with Netanyahu as Mojtaba Khamenei becomes new supreme leader

Mojtaba Khamenei has been named Iran’s new supreme leader, state media reports, replacing his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israel strikes. Conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran entered its second week, fighting intensified across the region with fresh airstrikes and competing claims from both sides. Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said a “number” of American soldiers have been captured since the war began, a claim rejected by the United States Central Command, which said no US service member has been taken prisoner. Meanwhile, US and Israeli forces carried out strikes on oil facilities in Tehran, triggering large fires, while Gulf states reported further Iranian missile and drone attacks, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries and said the attacks would stop

Diplomatic deadlock: President Trump has halted all negotiations, approving a new $151 million arms sale to Israel while demanding total Iranian capitulation.

Regional spillovers: Dubai International Airport (DXB) temporarily suspended operations following explosions and missile alerts; Bahrain and Saudi Arabia report intercepting over 200 combined drones and missiles in the last 24 hours.

Rising human cost: The death toll has surged to at least 1,230 in Iran and over 400 in Lebanon. Seventh US troops have been reported killed in the escalating hostilities.India’s involvement: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed that an Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Lavan, has docked in Kochi on humanitarian grounds after a sister ship was sunk by a US submarine.

Military escalation: Over 80 Israeli fighter jets targeted Tehran’s Imam Hussein University and underground ballistic missile silos in a massive Saturday morning wave.