Archive photo. Donald Trump claims that the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be dead
In an interview with the Financial Times, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that a regime change may have occurred in Iran and that the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely not alive.
According to information provided by the deputy head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Rahim Nadali, Tehran has lowered the minimum draft age to 12 years, calling on 12-13-year-olds to voluntarily enlist in military service, as reported by Al-Arabiya.
A powerful explosion occurred in Dubai's elite Jumeirah area, reportedly related to the destruction of an Iranian drone. Tourists in the city at the time reported waking up to a loud noise and seeing a large column of smoke.
As of now, the official authorities of the UAE have not provided information about the incident.
According to media reports, Iran attacked a Kuwaiti tanker in the port of Dubai, which was confirmed by the leadership of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
The IAEA reports that the heavy water production plant in Khondab was disabled as a result of an Israeli attack and has ceased operations. It is specified that no undeclared nuclear materials were found at this plant.
The Iranian Parliament's Security Commission has approved the introduction of fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reports the state broadcaster IRIB. This strait provided about 20% of global oil supplies before the conflict between the U.S. and Israel with Iran began, but with the onset of the war, Iran effectively closed it to vessels, causing fluctuations in oil markets.
Previously, Trump demanded that Iran open the strait, threatening to bomb Iranian power plants. Iran, in turn, informed international organizations that "non-hostile" vessels from Pakistan, China, Russia, India, and Iraq may pass through the strait with the approval of Iranian authorities.
Spain has decided to close its airspace to aircraft involved in the conflict with Iran and has prohibited the use of its bases for American operations against the country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei expressed hope that Middle Eastern countries would not accept Ukrainian air defense systems as military assistance, noting that linking the Ukrainian conflict with U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran is a serious mistake.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered assistance to Middle Eastern countries and the U.S. in the conflict with Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the names of Iranian representatives involved in ceasefire negotiations will not be disclosed. He noted that there are divisions in Iran, and some are ready to move in a new direction.
Donald Trump also stated that serious negotiations are underway with the "new and more serious" Iranian regime regarding a ceasefire, mentioning a compromise that has been reached.
At the same time, Trump threatens Iran with "explosion and complete destruction of power plants" if an agreement is not reached.
Israeli fighter jets dropped over 120 munitions on Iranian defense industry sites. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), over 150 fighter jets attacked Iranian facilities in Tehran in the last 24 hours.
The Red Crescent reported 21,000 casualties in Iran since the beginning of the conflict, including 244 women and 214 children who died as a result of U.S. and Israeli attacks. Among the injured are 1,700 minors, and 102,000 civilian objects have been damaged during the hostilities.
