The war between the United States and Israel against Iran entered its tenth day today (Monday).
Strikes are intensifying, casualties rising, with the majority of them in Iran. More than 1300 have been confirmed dead as a result of continuous strikes.
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We bring you major updates on the war on its ninth day.
Iran appoints new supreme leader
In a move that experts have described as a clear “middle finger” to US President Donald Trump, the Iranian 88-member Assembly of Experts announced Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday.
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Mr Khamenei had been an influential figure in the inner circle of the supreme leader, with deep ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), during his father’s rule.
His appointment comes a few days after Mr Trump referred to the new leader as a “lightweight” while asking to be part of the process to select the new leader.
Mr Trump had said Iran was only wasting its time if it tried to appoint a successor without US involvement.
He had also called the new leader, who is also a hardliner, an unacceptable choice to him and said he would reject any leader likely to continue the policies of the previous leadership.
He said such a leader would risk another conflict with the US “in five years.”
Trump unhappy with selection
Reacting to the selection of the 56-year-old Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, Mr Trump expressed disapproval.
He told Fox News on Sunday that he was not pleased with the selection.
He said, “I am not happy with Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader.”
He also noted that he will decide the course of action alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Trump earlier said the worst outcome of the ongoing war would be for a leader who is equally as hard-line as the late supreme leader.
“I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?
“That could happen. We don’t want that to happen. So, we’d like to see somebody in there that’s going to bring it back for the people,” he had said.
Leaders pledge allegiance
Back in Iran, the state armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and several top Iranian leaders have begun pledging allegiance to the new leader.
The clerical body of experts noted that Mr Khanemei was chosen on a “decisive vote.”
In a statement carried by state media, the IRGC declared its “sincere and lifelong allegiance” to Khamenei, emphasising that … they will listen to orders and be ready to implement them.
The IRGC said the election of the new leader “proved to everyone that the movement of the Islamic system does not stop, and the revolution and the Islamic system do not depend on individuals”, the IRGC added.
In a statement published on Tansim News Agency, the armed forces described Mr Khamenei as “just, knowledgeable … pious and resourceful.”
Al Jazeera reports that several top Iranian officials have also publicly pledged their allegiance, promising to support Mr Khamenei, while urging Iranians to do the same.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, described the Assembly of Experts’ decision as “precise.”
He also declared that supporting Mr Khamenei is the Iranians’ “definitive religious and national obligation”.
Sri Lanka issues visas for evacuated sailors
The Sri Lankan government has said it will issue free visas for the Iranian sailors evacuated outside its waters to prevent another US submarine attack
The previous attack had sunk an unarmed Iranian ship in the same area, killing more than 80 sailors.
Al Jazeera reported that Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Anada Wijepala disclosed to the media that the government will issue “a free visa” to sailors and allow them to stay in the country for a while.
He stated, “It will take some time for them to leave this country.”
The Iranian naval ship, which transferred to a Sri Lankan naval base on Saturday, had 204 sailors
The ship had requested assistance from Sri Lanka after reporting an engine failure.
On Wednesday, the Iranian warship was sunk by a US torpedo attack off Sri Lanka’s coast.
Sri Lankan naval forces rescued 32 sailors from the water and recovered 87 bodies following the strike.
It marked one of the rare occasions since World War II that a submarine sank a surface warship.
13 dead in Israel
Israel says Iranian attacks have killed 13 Israelis and left nearly 2,000 injured.
According to the Health Ministry, about 157 of the 2000 people were injured within the last 24 hours.
About 112 people remain hospitalised—nine of them in serious conditions.
The ministry urged Israelis to rush to bomb shelters “with caution”, noting that people have been injured while running to shelters.
However, the Israeli military chief, Eyal Zamir, says the war in the region might last for “much longer.”
Two Israeli soldiers were also killed earlier in Hezbollah attacks.
He said, “Israel has been under a state of emergency for two years. We must expect it to take much longer; patience is required,” Lieutenant-General said in a video released by the military.
“Overnight, we acted against Iranian forces of the Quds Force in Lebanon in Beirut and hit them. I tell you that there is no safe place for the arms of Iranian evil, anywhere in the Middle East, not in Beirut and not anywhere else.
Iran says it will not surrender
Iran, on the other hand, has said it will not surrender, adding that President Trump made a mistake assuming the country would give up in a few days of strikes.
The parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, reiterated on Sunday that Iran would attack any Gulf country that allows the US to use its bases to attack Tehran.
He reiterated that “if the war on infrastructure continues, we will retaliate without hesitation.”
Another US soldier dead
Another US soldier has died from wounds sustained during an Iranian attack on a US base. This raised the number of dead soldiers to seven.
READ ALSO: Oil prices soar above $100 per barrel as US/Israel war on Iran disrupts supply
The death of this soldier comes a day after the corpse of the six American soldiers killed by Iranian strikes in Kuwait arrived in the US.
Mr Trump, as the commander-in-chief of the US military, presided over the arrival ceremony of the slain soldiers.
He described their deaths as a “very sad day” for the Americans.
The latest case occurred in Saudi Arabia, according to the US Central Command.
CENTCOM also said a US serviceman died from wounds sustained in an Iranian attack
“The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.
“This is the seventh service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury. Major combat operations continue. The identity of the fallen warrior will be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,” it said.
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