Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad killed in US-Israel strike as strikes continue following Khamenei's death
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday in US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with former President Ahmadinejad also killed, according to state media.
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Ex-President Ahmadinejad, 69, served as Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013.
On Sunday, blasts continued to ring out across several neighbouring countries including Oman, Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain overnight, as Iran targeted US military bases in the countries.
Explosions were seen to shake Tel Aviv overnight, with at least 40 buildings damaged in the Iranian attack and more than 200 residents evacuated from their homes to nearby hotels.
Despite Iran targeting US military bases in the Middle East, a host of civilian locations - including Dubai's International Airport - were rocked by blasts, with Dubai's iconic Fairmont The Palm and Burj Al Arab hotels hit by Iran's counter-strikes.
It comes as Defence Secretary John Healey said on Sunday that “few people will mourn the Ayatollah” whose regime was “a source of evil”.
But as missiles continued to rain down on Iran and neighbouring countries following the Ayatollah's death, Iranians took to the streets around the world to celebrate freedom - as others were seen to mourn the loss.
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The US-Israeli war with Iran has entered its third week.
Key developments:
- Donald Trump has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer, insisting he's 'not happy' with the UK who he said used to be the 'Rolls-Royceof allies'
- EU leaders stood united in their refusal to send warships to Iran after the US president asked seven countries to protect the Strait of Hormuz
- The US President told the UK 'we don’t want your aircraft carriers' in an apparent U-turn
- It comes after drone strike near Dubai International Airport temporarily grounded flights on Monday
Iranian security chief who taunted Trump and head of brutal Basij militia taken out in targeted airstrikes, Israel says
A top militia commander who oversaw mass arrests and a brutal crackdown on mass protests across Iran has been killed in an airstrike alongside Iran's top security chief, Israel has claimed.
The IDF said its air force had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, a top militia commander, on Monday.
It comes as Israeli forces also confirmed that they had targeted and killed the secretary of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Larijani, in the strike.
Ali Larijani, the influential secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was one of several Iranian chiefs to publicly taunt President Trump and Israel during an annual anti-Israeli Quds Day rally last week.
Iranian security chief Larijani killed in strike, Israel says
Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, has reportedly been killed in an airstike.
Israel’s Minister of Defence Israel Katz made the claim in a statement on Tuesday.
Larijani ran Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
Iranian outlets have also described him as an adviser to the now dead Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Ali LarijaniTop militia commander who oversaw Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protests 'killed in Israeli airstrike'
A top militia commander who oversaw mass arrests and a brutal crackdown on mass protests across Iran has been killed in an airstrike, Israel claims.
The IDF claimed its air force had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, a top militia commander, on Monday.
It comes after Israeli forces confirmed they had targeted the secretary of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Larijani.
Soleimani, head of Iran's Basij unit - a paramilitary group involved in the deadly crackdown on anti-government protests, lead the Revolutionary Guard-linked militia for six years.
His death was confirmed by the IDF in a Telegram post, with Iranian media is yet to confirm the death.
Brigadier General GHOLAMREZA SOLEIMANIBritish Airways cancels Dubai flights until summer over Middle East 'airspace instability'
British Airways has cancelled all flights into Dubai until the summer due to the "continued uncertainty" and "airspace instability".
The airline announced that all flights to the UAE were suspended until later this year, while also putting trips to Doha in Qatar on hold until the end of April.
Travel to Amman, Bahrain and Tel Aviv has also been halted until after May 31.
It marks the longest airline cancellation announced so far during the US-Israel war on Iran, which has now entered its third week.
Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death by seconds after he 'stepped outside' for a garden walk
Iran’s new supreme leader survived the strike that killed his father and wife after he stepped outside for a walk, it has emerged.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who is understood to have been badly wounded in the strike, survived after he stepped outside for a stroll in his garden.
Seconds later, the strike killed his father, wife, son and other members of Iran’s leadership.
Audio of an address delivered by Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Ali Khamenei’s office, was obtained and verified by the Telegraph.
It reveals that Mojtaba had stepped outside “to do something” when missiles struck their residence at 9.32am local time on Feb 28.
The aftermath of the strike on Khamenei's compound.Iranians are 'fighting an economic not military war,' insists former UK Ambassador to the US
Lord Kim Darroch, the former UK Ambassador to the US and former National Security Advisor has told LBC that Iranians are 'fighting an economic not military war'.
Speaking with Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, he said: "I think the President is feeling rather vulnerable and at a bit of loss to know what to do because the Iranians are essentially fighting an economic war, not a military war, in response to the American attack.
"And I think they hadn't anticipated this."
Donald Trump 'was warned striking Iran would embolden regime' ahead of Operation Epic Fury
Donald Trump was given “very sober briefings” warning the Iranian regime would strengthen its hold on the country if the US attacked, sources say.
The US president was warned the government in Tehran would be weakened but would become more hardline in the face of a new supreme leader and a strengthened Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acting as partners following strikes on the country.
He was given “very sobering briefings” on this assessment before giving the go ahead, intelligence sources told The New York Post.
“It wasn’t just predictable… It was predicted. He was told in advance,” one source said.
Iran 'negotiating' with FIFA in bid to move all World Cup games to Mexico
Iran's football federation are said to be engaging in discussions with FIFA over moving their World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.
The potential move follows concerns over the footballers' safety, with Iranian football president, Mehdi Taj, insisting Trump had not guaranteed the safety of its players during the tournament.
Donald Trump last week insisted that Iran was welcome to participate in the upcoming tournament, but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to take part in matches “for their own life and safety”.
"When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," said Taj in a post on the Iranian embassy in Mexico's X account.
"We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's World Cup matches in Mexico."
United States president Donald Trump (left), who has assured FIFA that Iran are "welcome" to compete at this summer's World CupUK was once the 'Rolls-Royce of allies', insists Trump in fresh attack after EU unites over Iran war response
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet with his Cabinet on Tuesday after Donald Trump was seen to lash out at the UK, insisting it was once "the Rolls Royce of allies".
The US President was seen to make yet another U-turn over his requests for assistance in the Middle East, insisting he's "not happy" with Starmer after European leaders resisted immediately agreeing to US calls for assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
It follows a joint statement from the UK, Canada, France, Germany and Italy has warned of "devastating humanitarian consequences" should a ground offensive take place in the Middle East.
It comes as the UK economy braced itself for soaring oil prices, triggered by the ongoing conflict, with Starmer launching a multi-million pound fund on Monday to help UK residents reliant on heating oil.
The price of oil is likely to top the agenda as the Prime Minister chairs a weekly meeting with his senior ministers on Tuesday.
'We don't want your aircraft carriers'
President Trump has once again slammed the UK's response to the Iran war, telling reporters that he has rejected Sir Keir Starmer's offer to send British aircraft carriers to assist the US in the Middle East.
Speaking on the Prime Minister's alleged offer, Trump told gathered reporters: “I told him we don’t want your aircraft carriers."
Trump has repeatedly said he is unhappy with the UK's stance on the conflict in the Middle East, saying earlier on Monday that he was "not happy" with Britain.