World

Iranian state media reported that hundreds of thousands of people participated in organized rallies on Monday in support of the country's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. This event occurred nine days after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Attendees repeatedly pledged allegiance to the 56-year-old Mojtaba, a move that proceeded despite U.S. President Donald Trump's statements rejecting the appointment and threats of strikes as part of the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

In the latest escalation of the US-Israel war on Iran, nearly 62 million people living in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been caught in the crossfire. These nations—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are known for their economic opportunities but are now facing direct impacts from the regional conflict.

The US State Department announced on Monday that it has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a 'terrorist' organization, as the administration of President Donald Trump widens its crackdown on the group. The State Department alleged that the group has received support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), framing the move as part of a broader pressure campaign.

US President Donald Trump has stated he is “not happy” with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei. The American leader had purportedly warned repeatedly against electing the son to lead the country as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran intensified. In an interview with Time magazine on Friday, Trump claimed, “I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei. I want to be involved in the selection.” However, two days later, Iran’s Assembly of Experts defied these demands by appointing the 56-year-old son as successor, a move seen as a direct challenge to Washington’s influence.

Two men have been arrested and charged with terrorism-related offenses after allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during an anti-Islam protest outside New York City's Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence, on Saturday. The incident occurred while Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, was not at home. The IEDs, described as glass jars filled with screws and bolts with fuses and explosive charges, failed to detonate, but authorities confirmed they were functional and could have caused serious injury or death.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Moscow is conditionally prepared to resume oil and gas supplies to European countries. This statement comes amid halted tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. In televised remarks on Monday, the Russian leader asserted that Russia is ready to work with European customers if they desire to return to long-term cooperation free from political pressures, though he emphasized this must be on sustainable terms.

The artificial intelligence lab Anthropic has filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Defense’s designation of the company as a “supply chain risk,” a move that came after Anthropic refused to allow unrestricted military use of its AI system, Claude. The Pentagon had demanded the removal of guardrails blocking AI functions for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance, setting the stage for a legal confrontation with the Trump administration.

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has entered its second week, yet US President Donald Trump's statements about the conflict's ultimate objectives remain fluid and at times contradictory. Despite the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and strikes on nearly 2,000 targets, the Trump administration has failed to articulate a clear endgame for the military campaign.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in a statement on Monday that recent Israeli attacks on oil facilities in Iran could have negative effects on public health, with Iranian children and the elderly among the most vulnerable. He stated that damage to Iranian petroleum facilities “risks contaminating food, water and air”.

Iran's 88-member Assembly of Experts, composed of religious leaders, has elected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country's new Supreme Leader. This decision follows the killing of Ali Khamenei on February 28, the first day of the ongoing conflict. State television announced that Mojtaba Khamenei has been tasked with steering the "holy establishment of the Islamic Republic."

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence announced that NATO air defense systems intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkey. The incident occurred on Monday over the Sahinbey district of Gaziantep province in southern Turkey. According to the ministry's statement, no casualties or material damage were reported.

Pressure is mounting on Australia to offer asylum to members of the Iranian national football team following the Asian Cup, with reports indicating that five players have escaped Iranian supervision due to safety concerns. After Iran's campaign ended in Australia, their team bus was surrounded by hundreds of protesters chanting "save our girls," and players onboard were reportedly seen making SOS signs and photographing the scene. Although the bus returned to the team hotel in Gold Coast, widespread accounts emerged on Monday of five players fleeing the premises.