Iran war: Trump wants role in picking Khamenei successor

Bahrain said early Friday that Iran had targeted a hotel and two residential buildings in the capital, Manama. It had said earlier that two hotels were targeted by the attack. 

"No loss of life were recorded. Civil defence extinguished a fire in a flat in 1 of the 2 buildings," the Interior Ministry posted on X.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has just finished giving a press conference at the headquarters of Central Command, or Centcom, in Florida. 

Here are three things that stood out: 

US has enough munitions to 'sustain campaign'

Hegseth said Iran was hoping the United States can't sustain the war, but it was "miscalculating." 

"We've got no shortage of munitions," Hegseth said. "Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to."

The US was "establishing total dominance over the skies," he said and added that the "amount of firepower" over Iran and its capital, Tehran, was about to "increase considerably."

The United States has hit ⁠more than 2,000 targets in Iran over the past six ⁠days, including Iranian warships. 

Hegseth wouldn't be drawn on how long the US-Israel war with Iranmight last, saying that the timeline was "ours and ours alone."

Iran's strikes on allies is strengthening unity

Iran has been striking countries around the Gulf region, dragging them into the hostilities. 

By targeting countries around the Persian Gulf, Iran is strengthening US relations in the region, Hegseth said. 

Iran has launched strikes on 12 countries around the Middle East so far, he said. This isn't turning the war with Iran into a regional conflict, he said. Instead, the strategy is pulling these countries "into the US orbit." 

The countries that have been attacked by Iran are now saying, "We'll allow you more basing … we'll fly with you."

"It's actually simplifying" the war, he said. 

Persian Gulf countries are "running dangerously low" on the interceptor drones needed to destroy incoming missiles and drones from Iran, US broadcaster CBS said earlier on Thursday, citing unnamed officials.

US 'laser focused on border'

Hegseth also countered criticism that the Trump administration was losing focus on domestic issues. 

"We are laser focused on our borders," he said. 

The US State Department ⁠said in a statement that it was suspending operations ​at its embassy ​in ​Kuwait ‌City. It is the second diplomatic mission to suspend operations since the US started a war with Iran. The State Department issued the same directive for the consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.

"While there have been no reported injuries to US personnel, the safety of Americans abroad remains the highest priority of the US Department of State," the agency said in a statement regarding the Kuwait City embassy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly called the Kuwaiti foreign minister to express condolences for the deaths of at least two Kuwaiti troops in Iranian retaliatory strikes.

The German government is planning another evacuation flight to bring its citizens stranded in the Middle East back home. 

In addition to three special flights departing from Oman, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced another one taking off from the Saudi capital.

The flight from Riyadh is expected to be organized on Sunday afternoon with a chartered aircraft from the airline Sundair, the German dpa news agency reported.

Vulnerable Germans, such as pregnant women, the sick or the elderly, will be transported overland from the Gulf emirate of Qatar to Riyadh.

Germany's Foreign Ministry has counted more than 35,000 entries on the crisis preparedness list in the region, but not all of the Germans who have registered there wish to leave, while others have already left.

Wadephul called on Germans who have already returned to Germany to remove themselves from the list.

The US House of Representatives voted against a bipartisan war powers resolution, led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, a day after a similar bill was also defeated in the Senate.

The measure would have required President Donald Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Iran. The resolution received 212 in favor and 219 against, with the vote falling largely along party lines. Two Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure, while four Democrats voted along with most Republicans against it.

Final approval of the measure was unlikely after the Senate rejected a similar resolution and because Trump has the power to veto it and two-thirds majorities in both chambers are required to his override the veto, an almost impossible threshold in the current Republican-controlled Congress.

Democrats decried Republican support for what they called a "war of choice" by Trump.

"Republicans had their chance to do something that would have been overwhelmingly popular: to say no to Trump's war," said Chuck Schumer, who leads the Senate's Democratic minority.

"Instead, they enthusiastically said yes, and now they own this war with Iran just as much as Donald Trump does," he added.

Republican leaders backed Trump's authority, saying that the resolution would serve to embolden Iran and endanger US troops.

"I think passage of a war powers resolution right now would be a terrible, dangerous idea... It would empower our enemies," House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the vote.

"It would kneecap our own forces, and it would take the ability of the US military and the commander in chief away in completing this critical mission to keep everybody safe," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he held talks with officials in Lebanon to develop a plan to bring an end to attacks by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Israel.

The Iran war reignited the feud between Israel and Hezbollah, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Macron said France would strengthen its cooperation with the Lebanese armed forces and provide them with armored transport vehicles and operational and logistical support.

France also plans to increase humanitarian aid for Lebanon, sending several metric tons of medicines, as well as shelters and relief supplies, the French president said.

Lebanese authorities, meanwhile, pledged to take control of Hezbollah's positions and fully ensure security across the country.

"I will support them to the best of my ability," Macron posted on the platform X.

NATO said it is increasing the alert and readiness levels of its ballistic defense systems after an Iranian missile attack on Turkey, a spokesperson for the military alliance said.

The adjustment allows alliance members to better defend themselves.

Spokesperson Martin L O'Donnell said the measure was ordered by the commander of NATO's Air Command, who recommended maintaining NATO's readiness at the increased level until the threat from Iran's ongoing attacks in the region subsides.

Strong and unanimous support for the measure was also expressed during a meeting with representatives of member states.

When asked whether additional missile defense systems would be deployed to the region due to the situation, NATO initially provided no information. O’Donnell stated that no further details could be disclosed for operational security reasons.

The Israeli military said it is preparing the "next phase" of the war in Iran.

Military chief Eyal Zamir said in a televised address: "We are now moving to the next phase of the operation."

"In this phase, we will further dismantle the regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose," he added.

In comments carried by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Zamir also gave an account of the war so far:

• 6,000 munitions dropped by the Israeli air force
• 80% of Iran's air defenses destroyed
• Almost complete air superiority of Iranian skies
• 60% of Iran's ballistic missile launchers destroyed

These figures could not be independently verified, but the dominance of US and Israeli military capabilities over those of Iran are evident.

President Trump told Reuters that he would support Kurdish armed groups stationed in the mountainous Iran-Iraq border region to go on a ground offensive.

"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it," he said.

A coalition of various Kurdish opposition groups from Iran has been in contact with the US about an offensive to attack Western Iran following the weakening of the Iranian military, according to Reuters.

Kurds are split between Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. It's only in Iraq, where they now enjoy de facto autonomy, that they are not subject to government repression.

Syrian Kurds were key US allies in the fight against so-called "Islamic State," but lost the backing of Washington after former Islamist fighter Ahmed al-Sharaa became the president of Syria.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US has requested Ukrainian support in defending against Iranian drones in the Middle East.

Forces in Ukraine have experience with the so-called "Shahed" drones that are used by Russia to attack military and civilian targets.

"I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security," the Ukrainian president said in a post on X.

"Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people," he added.

President Donald Trump told US outlet Axios on Thursday that he should have a role in picking the next leader of Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in strikes early on Saturday.

But he ruled out Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is seen as a favorite contender among the remaining members of the regime.

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said.

"Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy," he said in reference to Delcy Rodriguez who took over as interim president of Venezuela after US forces kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump also told Reuters: "We want to be involved in the process of choosing ​the person who is going to lead Iran into the future."

"We don't have to go ​back every five years and do this again and again."

According to the institutions of the Iranian regime, Khamenei's successor must be picked by a group of senior Shiite clerics. It's not clear how Trump planned to influence that decision, but his comments have been seen as a sign he would be willing to work with a regime insider.

However, Israel has said that it would assassinate any successor chosen by the regime.

The 208 crew members of an Iranian naval ship that arrived in Sri Lankan waters on Thursday were evacuated by Sri Lankan authorities, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

He said the Sri Lankan navy would take control of the ship and move it to the port of Trincomalee for protection.

The announcement comes a day after the US confirmed it had sunk an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the country was drawn into the conflict on Monday have killed 102 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Some 638 more were also wounded since Monday, the ministry added.

The Health Ministry warned that tolls were likely to increase.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been forced to suspend operations at its emergency logistics hub in Dubai due to the threat of strikes.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that the impact of the suspension of operations "goes beyond the immediately affected countries," as the hub is responsible for global health emergencies.

Hanan Balkhy, the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean regional director, said the Dubai hub had processed 500 emergency orders for 75 countries last year.

She explained that the war was "preventing access to $18 million (€15.5 million) in humanitarian health supplies while another $8 million in shipments cannot reach the hub."

The suspension has affected 50 emergency supply requests from 25 countries. It was also impacting some $6 million in medicines destined for the Gaza Strip.

Balkhy said that Afghanistan and Pakistan could be impacted by a hold-up of $1.6 million in polio laboratory supplies. Polio is endemic in those two countries.

The United Kingdom is sending four additional Typhoon jets to Qatar, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.

The fighter planes will join an existing UK squadron in the Gulf state "to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region", Starmer told a news conference. 

Starmer stressed Britain had the right plan and had already been pre-deploying military equipment across the region even before the start of the latest conflict. 

"My focus is providing calm, level headed leadership in the national interest," Starmer said. "That means ⁠deploying ​our military and diplomatic strength to ​protect our people, and it means having the strength to ​stand firm by our ‌values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise."

A key energy provider, Qatar has continued to face Iranian strikes since the conflict erupted on Saturday.