US President Donald Trump has said that it would be better for someone within Iran, rather than Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, to lead the country once the US-Israel war on Iran has ended.
“He [Pahlavi] seems like a very nice person. But it seems to me that someone from within might be better” to take over, Trump told reporters as he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.
He also said that the worst-case scenario in his attack on Iran would be a new leader like the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?” said Trump.
“That could happen. We don’t want that to happen.”
Blasts over Dubai were ‘successful’ interceptions: Media office
The Dubai Media Office says explosions heard in the area are from “successful air defence interceptions”.
“The competent authorities in Dubai confirm that the sounds heard in various areas of the Dubai Emirate are the result of successful interceptions by air defences,” it said in a statement.
“The relevant teams continue to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to ensure everyone’s safety, and they urge the public to obtain information from its official sources.”
‘We’re doing very well’ in Iran: Trump
The US president painted a positive picture of his administration’s war against Iran on Tuesday.
“We’re doing very well,” Donald Trump said, speaking at the White House, seated next to visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“They have no navy; it’s been knocked out. They have no air force; it’s been knocked out. They have no air detection — that’s been knocked out,” he said.
Trump acknowledged that Iran was still “lobbing” missiles at its Gulf neighbours, but said that the US was striking Iranian launch facilities.
US military says it attacked 1,700 targets in Iran operation
The US military has carried out strikes against more than 1,700 targets in Iran, according to US Central Command.
In a fact sheet, CENTCOM said the strikes, which started on Saturday, targeted Iranian navy ships, submarines, and antiship missile sites along with command and control centres.
UK sends destroyer, helicopters to Cyprus after Iran attacks
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK is sending helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to Cyprus and deploying the air defence destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.
“The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,” said Starmer in a post.
“We’re continuing our defensive operations and I’ve just spoken with the president of Cyprus to let him know that we are sending helicopters with counter drone capabilities and HMS Dragon is to be deployed to the region.”
Qatari air defence intercepts projectiles in the skies over Doha
Bangs were heard over Doha just a few minutes ago, as Qatar’s air defence systems intercepted projectiles in the sky.
We’ll get you more details once we have them.
Qatar not part of campaign targeting Iran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Majed al-Ansari, the spokesperson of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, has stressed in a social media post that the country “has not been part of the campaign” against Iran.
“We are exercising our right in self defense and deterring Iranian attacks against our country. We urge media outlets to use credible Qataris sources when reporting on Qatar,” he said.
No radioactive leak recorded at Iran’s nuclear site hit by US-Israeli strikes
No radioactive leakage has been recorded at the Natanz nuclear facility after US and Israeli air strikes, Iranian media reports.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday the facility was struck during military operations by the United States and Israel against his country.
UAE exchanges to reopen Wednesday after two-day suspension
The United Arab Emirates’s stock markets will resume trading after a two-day suspension following Iran’s missile and drone strikes on the Gulf state.
The UAE Capital Markets Authority (CMA) said the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) would both open for trading on Wednesday.
“The resumption follows continued coordination between the Authority and the exchanges in line with the previously communicated timeframe,” CMA said in a statement, adding it would continue to monitor developments and take measures to protect investors.
In a separate statement, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) said Nasdaq Dubai would also resume trading on Wednesday.
EU starts helping evacuate citizens from Middle East
The European Union has begun helping member countries Italy, Austria and Slovakia repatriate their citizens stranded in the Middle East.
Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the three countries were the first so far to ask Brussels to assist in funding evacuation flights from the region.
Iran vows to hit all Middle East economic hubs if US-Israeli attacks persist
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ebrahim Jabbari has warned that continued US-Israeli attacks will see Iran conduct reprisals against “all economic centres” in the Middle East.
“We are saying to the enemy that if it decides to hit our main centres, we will hit all economic centres in the region,” said Jabbari.
“We have closed the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, the price of oil is above $80 and will soon reach $200,” he was quoted as saying by Iranian news agency ISNA.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. About 20 percent of global daily oil consumption — roughly 20 million barrels — passes through the narrow corridor.
US embassy in Beirut closes ‘until further notice’
The US embassy in Beirut has announced it will close “until further notice” because of the ongoing regional tensions.
“All other regular and emergency consular appointments have been cancelled. We will communicate when the Embassy returns to normal operations,” it added in a statement.
US embassy in Oman instructs staff, US citizens to seek shelter
The US embassy in Oman has instructed its staff and American citizens to take shelter “until further notice” because of “ongoing activity”.
“Find a secure location within your residence or another safe building,” said a statement.
More on Israeli attack on Lebanon’s Sidon city
As just reported, an Israeli strike hit the Lebanese southern city of Sidon.
Iran won’t ‘automatically’ fall after Khamenei’s death: Shah’s widow
The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “historically significant” but will not “automatically” lead to the fall of the Iranian system, says the widow of the country’s last shah.
“The passing of a man – however central he may be to the architecture of power – does not automatically mean the end of a system,” said Farah Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in Paris since being driven out of Iran during the 1979 revolution.
“What will be decisive,” she told the AFP news agency, is “the ability of the Iranian people to unite around a peaceful, orderly and sovereign transition to a state governed by the rule of law”, which she added her son Reza Pahlavi “is in the process of preparing”.
US-Israel air strikes hit western Tehran: Report
Joint Israel-US strikes have targeted areas in western Tehran, Iran’s ISNA news agency reports.
A video shows thick plumes of smoke engulfing the city.
