Ninth day of the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran.

Alarm sirens, explosions, missile trails, and the noise of drones continue to mark the time of a conflict that is entering its second week with no hope of a truce.

Airstrikes continue in Iran, several Israeli cities, and the Gulf countries, while Tel Aviv continues to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon. Tensions are rising between Israel and the United Arab Emirates after Israeli media reported the Emiratis' "first attack" on Iran, a claim immediately denied by Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Iran's Assembly of Experts has officially chosen the new Supreme Leader: "Khamenei's name as leader will continue to exist," a member of the Assembly reported. "It will not last long," Trump cut short, "the Supreme Leader must have our approval."

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The news for Sunday, March 8, 2026:

10:20 PM – Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's Supreme Leader

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, killed in the US and Israeli attacks on February 28, has been chosen as Iran's new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts. Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment as the third leader of the Islamic Republic was announced by Iranian state television, citing a statement released a few minutes earlier by the Assembly of Experts. The new leader, 56, is a mid-ranking figure, but influential and uncompromising. He was considered his father's successor, thanks in part to the support of the Revolutionary Guards and his father's office. He survived the US and Israeli attacks on February 28, during which his father and several family members were killed.

9:46 PM – Axios: "Israel attacks 30 times on Iranian fuel depots, US shocked."

Israel attacked 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday, far exceeding US expectations. Washington is concerned that Israeli attacks on infrastructure serving the Iranian population could backfire, pushing them to support the regime and driving up oil prices. Axios reports, citing sources who say the strikes left the United States "appalled," caught by surprise by the attacks.

8:50 PM – The death toll in the Iran war rises to seven.

Another American service member has died in the war with Iran, bringing the death toll to seven. The soldier died from wounds sustained in the March 1 attack on American troops in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Army announced.

8:42 PM – Attack on Iranian oil facilities: US-Israel tensions escalate

Tensions are rising between the US military and Israel over the attack on oil facilities in Iran. Israeli media Channel 12 reports this on X, quoting journalist Barak Ravid. "A senior US security official said: 'The Israelis had informed us in advance of the attacks on oil facilities, but they had not said they would be so extensive,'" the report reads.

post -. We don't think it was a good idea."

7:45 PM – Meloni on the attack on Iran: "International law has been violated."

"I agree with what Minister Crosetto said and I think we must deal with a situation in which the rules of international law have objectively been violated. I don't think they were violated with this episode (the Iranian crisis following the US and Israeli attack, ed.) because there are many precedents, but the situation is certainly one of great chaos." Meloni then clarified that the rules were violated earlier and added: "In my opinion, the crisis has become structural, particularly with the invasion of Ukraine, because who is supposed to enforce international law? In theory, it's the United Nations, but we have the anomaly of a member of the UN Security Council who four years ago invaded his neighbor in an attempt to annex it."

7:20 PM – "Larijani opposes Mojtaba Khamenei, preferring his brother."

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is one of the main opponents of Mojtaba Khamenei's nomination to lead the country, and for this reason his name has not yet been announced as the country's next leader. This is what IranWire, an independent news website, reports on its Persian page. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of the parliament, is said to be supporting Khamenei, and the conflict between the two, who are now responsible for running the country as executive officials, has prevented Khamenei's son from being announced as his father's successor. Larijani is reportedly supporting his brother, Sadeq Larijani, a senior cleric, in the leadership battle.

7:05 PM – Israel: "Since the start of the war, 2,070 people have been hospitalized, 155 in intensive care."

The Israeli Ministry of Health reports that since the beginning of the war with Iran, 2,072 people have been hospitalized, of whom 155 are in intensive care.

6:40 PM – Member of the Assembly of Experts: "Khamenei's name as leader will live on."

Khamenei's name as Iran's leader "will continue to exist," a member of the Assembly of Experts said, quoted by Sky News UK. "With a majority of votes, the person who will continue the path of Imam Khomeini and the martyred Imam Khamenei has been chosen. Khamenei's name will continue. The vote has been cast and will be announced soon," Hosseinali Eshkevari reported.

6 p.m. – Trump: "Rising oil prices are a minor inconvenience."

The rise in fuel prices is a "minor inconvenience. I knew exactly what was coming, but the good thing is that we sank 44 of their ships and knocked out all their communications and telecommunications. Their anti-aircraft systems are down." Donald Trump said this in an interview with ABC, responding to a question about the rise in oil prices following the campaign in Iran. "They have absolutely no defense. They only have the ability to talk," Trump emphasized.

5:15 PM – Saudi Arabia: 2 dead, 12 injured in raid on residential area

An attack on a residential building in Saudi Arabia has killed at least two people and injured a dozen, the civil defense agency said, as reported by Al Jazeera. The attack targeted a compound in the central al-Kharj governorate, the agency reported on X.

4:55 PM – Abu Dhabi vs. Israel

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expressing anger today over reports published in Israel that Abu Dhabi carried out a limited attack on Iran, warning that "public revelations of this kind could damage the sensitive regional effort," as Channel 12 reports. A source close to the Emirates told the Israeli broadcaster: "In Abu Dhabi, they struggle to understand Israeli behavior and the type of briefing coming from Jerusalem. Publications of this kind do not help the regional effort and could cause damage." A Emirati source also criticized the decision to publicly disclose the evacuation flights of Israeli citizens from Abu Dhabi to the Jewish state, rather than keeping them secret. "When there are large numbers of flights and missiles in the air and there is a need to evacuate or move aircraft for security reasons, it makes no sense to make it public. Such things are handled secretly to avoid unnecessary risks."

4:40 PM – IDF: "Guardians of the Islamic State Aerospace Force Headquarters Hit"

The Israeli army said it struck the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards' aerospace force, the elite corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Tehran. According to the statement, this headquarters "served as a reception, transmission, and research center for the Iranian Space Organization, affiliated with regime forces." The IDF also struck the building that controls the satellite "launched in August 2022 and used by the Revolutionary Guards to promote their operations and monitor the State of Israel and the countries of the region." The statement also states that it "hit dozens of other Iranian regime infrastructure," including approximately "50 ammunition bunkers," an "internal security base," and several compounds belonging to the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij militia.

4:20 PM – Trump: "Without our approval, the Supreme Leader will not last long."

Iran's supreme leader "will have to get our approval. If he doesn't get it, he won't last long," Donald Trump told ABC. "We want to make sure we don't have to go back every ten years," the president added. Trump has been insisting for days on the need for the United States to have its say on who will lead Iran.

4:10 PM – "US State Department bypasses Congress in bomb sales to Israel"

The State Department bypasses Congress to sell 20,000 bombs to Israel. The department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes there is an emergency following the war in Iran, requiring the immediate sale of approximately $660 million in bombs to Israel. The New York Times reports, citing sources who say this is the first time during the second Trump administration that an emergency, as provided for in the Arms Export Control Act, has been formally declared to bypass Congress and sell weapons to Israel.

3:45 PM – Tehran: "Toxic substances from oil facility raids put civilians at risk."

Airstrikes targeting Tehran's oil facilities have released "hazardous materials" that threaten civilian safety, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said today. "By targeting fuel depots, the attackers are releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air, poisoning civilians, devastating the environment, and endangering human lives on a large scale," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told X.

3:40 PM – Tehran: "Government working normally, new Supreme Leader expected soon."

In an interview with NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran's political institutions continue to function normally. "A new supreme leader will soon be appointed by the Assembly of Experts," he said, adding that the president, government, and parliament are all continuing to carry out their duties. Araghchi also rejected US President Donald Trump's statements, asserting that Iran would not allow outside interference in its internal affairs. "It is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader," he stated. "This is the Iranian people's business alone, and no one else's."

3:25 PM – White House: "Troops on the ground are not part of the current plan; Trump hasn't ruled it out."

The deployment of ground troops in Iran is not part of Donald Trump's current plan, but the president "has not removed the option from the table," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox, emphasizing that the operation against Iran will continue to be an air campaign.

2:50 PM – Emirates: "We did not hit a desalination plant in Iran."

The United Arab Emirates denies Israeli reports that it targeted a desalination plant in Iran. The Foreign Ministry states, according to Anadolu, that in "self-defense" against "Iranian aggression," the UAE is not seeking escalation, but reserves the "full right" to ensure its own security. "This is fake news. When we do something, we have the courage to announce it," Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council (FNC), told X.

2:40 PM – Tajani: "As of today, 25,000 Italians have returned."

"As of today, approximately 25,000 Italians have returned. Between yesterday evening and today, another 5,000 have returned or are in flight from various places, not only the Emirates, not only Saudi Arabia, not only Oman, but also Israel, the Maldives, Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka." Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told journalists at the Farnesina, affirming that "there is a significant improvement compared to yesterday and the day before yesterday regarding our fellow citizens."

2:30 PM – Iranian General: "We will continue the war until the enemy is defeated."

"Iran will continue the war with Israel and the United States until the enemies repent and are defeated," said the commander of the Khatamolanbia Central Headquarters, the Iranian Armed Forces' unified combatant command. "The enemy has made errors of judgment," Ali Abdollahi added, according to state television. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their naval forces launched drone and ballistic missile attacks against the US Al-Adiri helicopter base in Kuwait. The Guards also said that in their 28th wave of military operations today, they used "new generation" missiles against Tel Aviv and Beersheba in Israel and the US Al-Azraq air base in Jordan. Iran claims its forces have shot down more than 82 US and Israeli drones since the start of the war. 1:40 PM – Katz: "Khamenei's military secretary eliminated"

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Khamenei's military secretary has been eliminated.

1:00 PM - Israeli media: "This is the first time the Emirates have attacked Iran."

"The United Arab Emirates has launched its first attack in Iran," Israeli media reported, emphasizing that the attack targeted an Iranian desalination plant. "Israel believes the strike is, for now, merely a signal to the Iranian regime; however, if Tehran's attacks were to intensify, there is a real possibility," Israeli media reported, "that the Emirates will join the conflict in a limited capacity." Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi announced that "air defenses detected 17 ballistic missiles, 16 of which were destroyed, while one fell into the sea. 117 drones were also detected, 113 of which were intercepted and four of which fell on national territory."

11:50 a.m. – Tehran Civil Defense: "Acid rain, stay indoors."

The Iranian Red Crescent has warned Tehran residents of the risk of toxic compounds being released into the atmosphere following the explosion of oil depots during the US-Israeli attacks on Tehran. "Dangerous acid rain could occur," some of which has already begun to wet the capital. Civil Defense has urged residents to stay indoors. A huge cloud of smoke billowed across Tehran this morning, darkening the sky, followed by some dark-colored rain over the capital.

10:00 AM – Emirates: "Tugboat sunk in Hormuz, three sailors missing."

Three Indonesian crew members are missing after the UAE-flagged tugboat Musaffah 2 sank in the Strait of Hormuz , the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta announced in a statement. "One Indonesian survivor is currently being treated for burns at a hospital in the city of Khasab, Oman. The other three Indonesians are still being sought by local authorities," the statement read. Before sinking, the Musaffah 2 suffered an explosion that caused it to catch fire; local authorities are investigating.

9:00 AM – Ayatollah agrees on new Supreme Leader

Iran's Assembly of Experts has reached an agreement on who will be elected the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic following the assassination of Ali Khamenei. Ayatollah Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri, a member of the body, told Fars news agency. In a video published by Fars news agency on Telegram, Mirbagheri stated that "great efforts were made to determine the leader" and that "a decisive and unanimous opinion" had been reached.

8:15 a.m. – Explosion confirmed at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo

The blast heard overnight in Oslo was linked to the explosion of a bomb that caused "minor material damage" to one of the entrances to the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. There were no injuries, police in the Norwegian capital said. At this time, investigators emphasized, "it is too early" to determine whether the explosion is linked to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

7:35 a.m. – Iran: "US-Israeli raid on five oil facilities near Tehran."

The United States and Israel struck five oil facilities during overnight attacks in and around the Iranian capital, an official told state TV. "Last night, four oil depots and a petroleum products transportation center in Tehran and the Alborz were attacked by enemy aircraft," Keramat Veyskarami, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, told state TV. He added that the five facilities "were damaged," but that "the fire has been extinguished."

7:20 a.m. – Media reports a blast near the U.S. Embassy in Oslo.

A loud bang was heard near the US Embassy in Oslo. Reuters reported on its website, citing Norwegian police, who said it was unclear what caused the bang or who was behind it. "Police are in contact with the embassy and there are no reports of injuries," the police added.

7:00 AM – Iran: "We can fight this war for at least another six months."

Iran said today it is capable of fighting for at least another six months against the United States and Israel, in a war that has entered its ninth day. " The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are capable of continuing at least six months of intense warfare at the current pace of operations ," Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said, quoted by the Fars news agency.

- UPDATE IN PROGRESS -

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