Donald Trump claimed Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei might be dead.
The US President told NBC he was hearing that Mojtaba was "not alive". He called on the new Supreme Leader, who was chosen following the death of his father in US-Israeli strikes, to "surrender" if he was still alive.
This follows reports earlier in the week that Mojtaba was in a coma and had lost at least one leg in strikes on Iran. Shortly after those reports emerged, a statement was issued on Mojtaba's behalf in which he issued further threats to the US.
Tim Hanlon
Iran regime claims Ukraine is a 'legitimate target' in conflict
The Iran regime says Ukraine has become a "legitimate target"over its supposed support for Israel.
Volodymyr Zelensky has previously offered support to countries under threat in the Middle East conflict due to expertise in his country with drone defence.
And now the head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission Ebrahim Azizi claims that Ukraine is a fair target due to its support to Israel.
“By providing drone support to the Israeli regime, failed Ukraine has effectively become involved in the War and, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, has turned its entire territory into a legitimate target for Iran,” Ebrahim Azizi wrote in an X post.
Tim Hanlon
Iran's foreign minister says Supreme Leader is in 'full health' and in control
Iran’s foreign minister has given an update on the health of the new Supreme Leader after Donald Trump said he could be dead.
Mojtaba Khamenei replaced his father who was killed in Israeli-US strikes at the start of the conflict - but he has not been seen since.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” Trump told NBC. “I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.”
But now Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed: "The Leader of the Revolution is in full health and is fully managing the situation."
KEY EVENT
'Israel could get seriously destroyed and resort to using nuclear weapon'
David Sacks, the czar for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency in the Trump administration, made a chilling warning that if Israel came under concerted attack it could use a nuclear weapon.
He has spoken about the risks of an “escalatory approach” in the conflict with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Israel could get seriously destroyed,” he said, before adding, “And then you have to worry about Israel escalating the war by contemplating using a nuclear weapon.”
On the danger of a nuclear weapon being used he called it “truly catastrophic,” adding that there are “a lot of really frightening scenarios about where escalation could lead.”
Image:
Bloomberg via Getty Images)Tim Hanlon
US attack on Kharg Island came from location 'close to Dubai' says Iran
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the US attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island yesterday from two locations in the UAE, Ras Al-Khaimah and a place “very close to Dubai”.
He added that Iran “will try to be careful not to attack any populated area” there. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Gulf neighbors during the war, but it has said it was targeting US assets, even as hits or attempts were reported on civilian ones such as airports and oil fields.
A diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, Anwar Gargash, said on social media the country has the right to defend itself but “still prioritizes reason and logic, and continues exercising restraint.”
Image:
@realDonaldTrump)Tim Hanlon
Iran threatens to 'pursue and kill' Israeli leader Netanyahu
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has vowed to hunt down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
“If the criminal Zionist prime minister is still alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” the IRGC said in a statement.
Ethan Blackshaw
Trump admits Russia might be sharing intel with Iran
Trump told NBC: “Russia is perhaps giving information, perhaps they’re not.”
It follows reports that Putin was sharing intelligence with the Iranian leadership to facilitate strikes on US targets. The Trump administration initially played down these reports.
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Ethan Blackshaw
Trump wants say in who rules Iran
Trump previously said he wants a say in who becomes Iran's new leader.
He declined to say whether there was one particular Iranian leader whom he would like to see take over. He told NBC: “We have people that are living that would be great leaders for the future of the country.”
Asked whether he’s in touch with any of the potential leaders, the president added: “I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to put them in jeopardy.”
Ethan Blackshaw
Mojtaba 'wounded and disfigured'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” on Friday.
That followed reports that he may be in a coma. A statement was also issued in his name earlier this week.
“Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father: dead; he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy,” Hegseth added.
Ethan Blackshaw
What Trump said about Mojtaba potentially being dead
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” Trump told NBC.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump added, but called the news of his death “a rumor.”
Image:
KHAMENEI.IR/AFP via Getty Images)KEY EVENT
Trump rejects Iranian request for ceasefire
Donald Trump has rejected a ceasefire request made by Iran.
Ignoring calls to down arms by the United Nations and global leaders, Trump said that, despite Iran's willingness for a ceasefire, he had refused because the deal on offer isn't sweet enough.
Rachel Vickers-Price
Pre-dawn strikes sing out across central Iranian city
Heavy airstrikes have been reported across the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Sunday (March 15), with the Iran International reporting explosions were heard across the city.
Videos circulating online appeared to show a fighter jet flying at low altitude over Isfahan, while other photographs show thick columns of smoke rising from different areas in the metropolis.
Most explosions, however, were heard in the city’s northern and southern districts, as per reports.
Rachel Vickers-Price
IDF warns Israeli citizens to enter bomb shelters now and to remain there
The Israeli Defence Force says it has swatted away a number of Iranian strikes on Sunday morning local time, with missile interceptors working to combat threats while precautionary alerts were sent to any people within targeted areas.
Israel has advised its citizens to enter protected places or bomb shelters and to remain there until further notice.
The update comes after state-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that a new wave of missiles had been launched from Iran, while Lebanese militant group Hezbollah also are understood to have fired strikes towards the northern regions of Israel.
Rachel Vickers-Price
Americans in Iraq told to evacuate now
The US embassy in Baghdad has issued a new warning for Americans, urging US citizens to leave Iraq after a missile hit a building within the embassy complex on Saturday.
In its warning, the US embassy said citizens should "leave Iraq now".
"US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups," the embassy said.
Rachel Vickers-Price
Trump claims he rejected Iran ceasefire request
Trump has claimed that Iran is ready to negotiate a ceasefire in the wake of ongoing airstrikes by the US, but he rejected Iran's request.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet," NBC News cited Trump during a telephone interview.
He added: “We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
The US President made the claims in the same interview in which he claimed Iran's Supreme Leader might be dead.
Rachel Vickers-Price
World leader disputes Trump's claim
While Donald Trump says Mojtaba Khamenei might not be alive, Türkiye's foreign minister Hakan Fidan has said otherwise.
Fidan, who has regular contact with Iranian officials, said he does not know the severity of the wounds but "what we know is that he is alive and functioning".
The update comes hours after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said there was "no problem" with the Islamic republic's new leader after US officials claimed he had been wounded.
Yesterday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the supreme leader is "wounded and likely disfigured".
Now, Trump himself has claimed: “I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender."
Rachel Vickers-Price
Donald Trump claims Iran's Supreme Leader might be dead
Donald Trump told NBC News that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei might be dead.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive," Trump said.
The update comes as question's swirl about the whereabouts of Iran's new Supreme Leader. Late last week, he broke his silence after days of intensifying rumours about his health and whereabouts.
It did little to put them to rest, however, as the 56-year-old cleric has not been seen since the start of the war, nor has he appeared in public since he was named as his father's successor in Iran last week.
Zahra Khaliq
More than 40 arrested in UAE for sharing images related to Iran attacks
Police in Abu Dhabi have arrested 45 people for filming and sharing photos on social media linked to Iranian attacks on the country.
Authorities in the UAE have warned they will crack down on activity that "provokes public opinion and spread rumours."
Zahra Khaliq
Israeli strike on health centre kills 12 medical workers
An Israeli strike on a health centre in Lebanon has killed 12 medical workers, including doctors and nurses, Lebanon's ministry of public health says.
The chief of the World Health Organization has condemned the attack. "These incidents highlight the ongoing assault on Lebanon's healthcare system, which is crucial for the populations it serves," Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
"WHO condemns this tragic loss of life and emphasises that health workers must always be protected."
The Israeli military said it is aware of reports of a strike in the Borj Qalaouiye, southern Lebanon, and that it is reviewing the incident.
KEY EVENT
Formula 1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancelled
Formula 1 has cancelled the Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia "due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East".
The races will not take place next month, "alongside F2, F3 and F1 Academy rounds".
"While alternatives were considered, no substitutions will be made in April," Formula 1 added in a post on X.
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2026The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April
Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East the Grands Prix, alongside F2, F3, and F1 Academy rounds, will not take place as scheduled
While alternatives were considered, no substitutions will be made in… pic.twitter.com/wsgXUR2FKn
Zahra Khaliq
Two US airmen killed in Iraq aircraft crash named
Two airmen who died after a US aircraft crashed in Iraq earlier this week have been named. Alex Klinner, 33, when a KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on March 12.
His brother-in-law James Harrill said he was "a really good dad and really loved his family a lot - like a lot".
Image:
AP)Klinner, from Birmingham, Alabama, had been a US Air Force veteran for eight years.
Sergeant Tyler Simmons, 28, from Columbus, Ohio, also died in the crash, his mother, Cheryl Simmons, confirmed. "He called me on Wednesday, and we were able to talk to him," she told WSYX.
"I was over here, and we actually had a beautiful conversation. I was like Tyler, how are you? He said I’m good, but mother knows. He was having some challenges, you know, he told me they had been shot at, but he was okay."
KEY EVENT
UK could send minehunting drones to Strait of Hormuz
Britain may deploy minehunting drones to the Strait of Hormuz, with military leaders reportedly discussing their options if a decision is taken to send additional assets to the Gulf, reports the Times.
It comes after Donald Trump called on the UK, China and allies to send warships to help secure the safety of oil tankers through the waterway, which Iran has vowed to keep blocking.
Zahra Khaliq
US threatens to cancel news broadcasts over 'distortions' on Iran War
The Trump adminstration has warned that news outlets could have their broadcasting licences revoked - with channels warned they must "operate in the public interest" when reporting on the war in Iran.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said in a social media post on Saturday that broadcasters must operate in the public interest, or else lose their licences.
Zahra Khaliq
France says 'no' to warships at Strait of Hormuz: 'Stop the scaremongering'
France has said "no" to claims it will send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. The official response account of the country's foreign affairs ministry replied to the claims on X, saying "not true".
"No. The (French) aircraft carrier strike group remains in the Eastern Mediterranean," it wrote. "France's mission remains: Defensive. Protective. Stop the scaremongering."
Image:
AP)Zahra Khaliq
'Several drones' struck Kuwait Airport's radar system
Kuwait International Airport has reported being targeting by several drones that struck the airport's radar system.
The Authority's spokesperson Abdullah Al-Rajhi told local outlet Kuna: "The incident was handled according to the emergency plan in effect since the start of the crisis, in full coordination with the competent authorities in the country".
Zahra Khaliq
Trump doubles down, urges other nations to intervene at Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump has once again called on other nations to help combat Iranian efforts to shut the Strait of Hormuz.
It comes just hours after he said he hopes the UK and China were among "many countries" that will send warships to the crucial waterway. In another Truth Social post, Trump said countries "that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage".
"The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both militarily, Economically, and in every other way," he continued. Trump said the US will help and coordinate those countries "A LOT" to "everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well".
"This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be - it will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace," he added.
Zahra Khaliq
Iran says senior army commander killed in Israeli attack
Iran's army says the Brigadier General Abdullah Jalali Nasab has been killed in an Israeli attack.
Nasab "was martyred while defending the country following an attack by the Zionist entity", it said in a statement.
Zahra Khaliq
US is now 'begging others' to make Hormuz safe, Iran's foreign minister says
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says the US's security umbrella is "full of holes" - and it is now "inviting trouble" to the Strait of Hormuz.
"US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe," Aragchi said in a post on X. "Iran calls on brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel," he adds.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 14, 2026Touted US security umbrella has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble. US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe.
Iran calls on brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel.
KEY EVENT
US citizens warned to 'leave Iraq immediately'
The US Embassy in Baghdad has urged Americans to leave Iraq immediately due to the threat of attacks by "Iran-aligned terrorist militias".
The warning reads: "Iran-aligned terrorist militias have encouraged and carried out indiscriminate attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. U.S. citizens should leave Iraq immediately.
"Iran-aligned terrorist militias have attacked the International Zone in central Baghdad on multiple occasions. The International Zone remains closed, with limited exceptions. Repeated attacks have also occurred in the vicinity of Erbil International Airport and the Consulate General.
"Do not attempt to come to the Embassy in Baghdad or the Consulate General in Erbil due to the ongoing risk of rockets, drones, and mortars in Iraqi airspace. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq reminds U.S. citizens of the Level 4: Do Not Travel warning for Iraq."
— U.S. Embassy Baghdad (@USEmbBaghdad) March 14, 2026تنبيه أمني – سفارة الولايات المتحدة في بغداد، العراق – 14 آذار\مارس 2026
الموقع: العراق
الميليشيات الإرهابية الموالية لإيران شجّعت ونفّذت هجمات عشوائية ضد المواطنين الأميركيين والأهداف المرتبطة بالولايات المتحدة في جميع أنحاء العراق، بما في ذلك إقليم كردستان العراق. على… pic.twitter.com/MIbYzqCejY
KEY EVENT
Trump hopes UK and China will send warships to Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump has claimed "many countries" will send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Writing on Truth Social, the US president said the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea will "hopefully" be sending warships to the shipping route.
"In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water," he added. "One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait."
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said earlier that Britain is weighing up a "range of options" to ensure the security of shipping in the region.
Zahra Khaliq
MoD 'discussing range of options' to ensure security of Strait of Hormuz
Responding to Donald Trump’s calls for the UK to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “As we’ve said previously, we are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region.”