Iran war: Khamenei's son Mojtaba named new supreme leader

The United States announced that it is ordering some embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia amid Iranian strikes on the kingdom.

In a travel advisory, the State Department said it had "ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks."

Previously, the United States had allowed non-essential staff to leave but did not require them to do so.

Last week, drones hit the US embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and have also caused damage at US embassies in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran's Assembly of Experts has chosen Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as the country's new supreme leader.

Read more in our profile about how his selection shows that the Iranian regime, at war with the US and Israel, has opted for a confrontational path.

As the Iran war hinders the region's oil production and transportation, crude oil prices have exceeded $100 (€87) per barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years. 

After trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was at $107.97, up 16.5% from its Friday closing price of $92.69.

West Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, sold for approximately $106.22 per barrel. That’s 16.9% higher than its Friday close of $90.90.

Bahrain's interior ministry said an Iranian drone attack in the island of Sitra resulted in several people being injured.

"As a result of the blatant Iranian aggression, injuries among citizens were reported, one of them serious," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, several houses were damaged as a result of the attack.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged loyalty to the country's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

According to a statement, the IRGC said it will obey Khamenei, whose father Ali was killed by an Israeli strike in the beginning of the joint US-Israeli war in Iran.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... is ready for complete obedience and self-sacrifice in carrying out the divine commands of the Guardian Jurist of the time, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei", the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Iran-back Lebanese militant group Hezbollah labeled Mojtaba Khamenei "leader of the blessed Islamic revolution."

Iran has named Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as the country's new supreme leader, state media in Iran said.

Mojtaba Khamenei is regarded as a hardliner, with some experts considering him even more extreme than his late father. 

Iran's Assembly of Experts, which chose Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader, called on the country's population to stand behind the newly-chosen leader and "keep unity."

US President Donald Trump previously said appointing Khamenei's son is "unacceptable," adding Iran's new leader is not bound to "last long" should his appointment not be coordinated with the US.

"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight," US outlet Axios quoted Trump as saying.

US President Donald Trump held a phone call with United Arab Emirates (UAE) leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirati state news agency reported.

The two leaders spoke of "developments in the region and their implications" for security and stability in the region and globally, also speaking about Iran's attacks on the UAE.

The country has repeatedly been targeted by missiles and drones by Tehran since the war with the US and Israel broke out.
 

Iran is not seeking a ceasefire in the war with Israel and the US, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer ‌Qalibaf said.

Talking to Iran's state TV, ‌Qalibaf said the "aggressors" should be punished.

"If the enemy attacks us from any country, Tehran will respond decisively," he said.

A US service member succumbed to their wounds after being seriously injured from an Iranian attack on US troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1, the US army said.

This is the seventh American troop member to have been killed as part of the joint US-Israeli war with Iran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that the identity of the soldier will be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.

One Indian and a Bangladeshi national were killed in an apparent Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia , marking the war's first deaths in the kingdom as a result of the war. 

According to Saudi authorities, twelve other Bangladeshi nationals were injured, all of them hit by a "projectile" in Al-Kharj province. The Saudi government said earlier that it had intercepted a wave of drones headed for targets that included the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh.

Officials did not say where the projectiles originated from, however, the spokesman stressed that "attempts to target civilian facilities are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."

Iran has been targeting countries across the Middle East and the Gulf for the past nine days after the joint US-Israeli strikes across the country.

The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday it was in a "state of self-defense" in the face of "unjustified" Iranian attacks on its territory.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X that over 1,400 ballistic missiles and drones were fired at its infrastructure and civilian sites, killing and injuring civilians.

"The UAE stresses it does not seek to be drawn into any conflicts or escalations, but it affirms its full right to protect its sovereignty and national security, and the safety of its territory and that of all its citizens and residents," the statement read.

With the Middle East serving as a major hub for global aid shipments, disruptions to humanitarian cargo could mean "lives not saved" in crisis zones worldwide, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Sunday, making them the first Israeli troops to have died since fighting flared with the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah.

"Master Sergeant Maher Khatar, aged 38, from Majdal Shams, a soldier from the Combat Engineering Corps in the 91st division, fell during combat in southern Lebanon," a military statement said, adding that a second soldier was killed in the same incident.

The military did not name the second soldier or provide further details on the circumstances of the incident.

Australia has directed the dependents of its officials posted to the UAE to leave "due to the deteriorating security situation," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday.

In a post on X, Wong said Canberra continued to "advise Australians not to travel to the UAE." She added that the Australian government has been working hard to help Australians leave the Gulf country, as per a February 28 advice.

The Australian Government has directed the departure of dependents of Australian officials posted to the UAE, due to the deteriorating security situation. Our travel advice has been updated to reflect that direction. We continue to advise Australians not to travel to the UAE.

"We're engaging with airlines and contacting registered Australians directly when we know seats are available. If you can secure a seat, please consider taking it," Wong said, adding that over 1,700 Australians have thus far returned from the UAE in direct flights.

• Iran's clerical body said a new supreme leader had been "appointed," Iranian media reported 
• Israel has renewed its vow to pursue any new supreme leader in Iran
• Bahrain says a water desalination plant suffered 'material damage' after an Iranian strike
• Iranian media says fuel distribution in Tehran has been 'temporarily interrupted' after Israeli strikes on oil storage sites
• In Lebanon, the death toll from Israeli strikes has climbed to 394 people, including 83 children