What to know on the ninth day of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran
- President Trump, who has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” indicated on Saturday he has no timetable for the war, telling reporters, “I never project that, whatever it takes.”
- Mr. Trump told CBS News that the U.S. has been successful in diminishing the Iranian military and regime, and will continue to expand its targets inside Iran.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian threatened to step up attacks on American targets throughout the Middle East: “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond.”
- Iranian clerics said a consensus on a new supreme leader has been reached, but a name has not been announced.
- Another U.S. service member has died in the war with Iran, bringing the death toll to seven.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has chosen a new supreme leader, source says
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has chosen a new supreme leader, a source inside the country tells CBS News.
The powerful clerical body tasked with selecting Iran’s supreme leader has not announced it yet, but multiple of its members have said they have already concluded their discussions. The official announcement is expected to be made soon.
Some of the Assembly of Experts members have mentioned Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the former supreme leader, killed in the U.S.-Israeli initial strikes, as the leading contender.
7th U.S. service member dies from Iran’s initial attacks, Central Command says
A U.S. service member has died from injuries received during Iran’s initial retaliatory attacks, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.
The service member was seriously wounded during an attack in Saudi Arabia on Mar. 1, CENTCOM said. The identity of the service member will be released following the notification of the next of kin.
This is the seventh American service member to be killed in the Middle East since the war in Iran started on Feb. 28.
Macron calls Iranian president, urges Tehran to halt strikes in the region
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezechkian on Sunday and urged him to stop attacks on Iran’s neighbors.
“I stressed the need for Iran to immediately cease its strikes against countries in the region,” Macron said in a post on X. He also called on Iran to guarantee freedom of navigation by “putting an end to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Macron is the first Western leader to talk to Iran’s president since the beginning of the war. He said he called for the return of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French nationals who were released from an Iranian prison in November and transferred to the French Embassy in Tehran, after more than three years in detention on spying charges.
Both leaders agreed to remain in contact, according to Macron’s post on X.
In addition to separate talks with Emirs of Qatar and Kuwait, and the presidents of Egypt and Azerbaijan on Sunday, the French president also spoke with President Trump, Macron’s office said.
Macron stressed deep concern regarding the development of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic program and said a diplomatic solution is necessary.
Trump says new supreme leader won’t last long without U.S. approval
Mr. Trump said Iran’s next supreme leader won’t last long without first receiving approval from the United States, despite Iranian officials insisting that the U.S. does not and should not have any input on the country’s election process.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Mr. Trump told ABC News. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it.”
While Iran is already preparing to name the new supreme leader, Mr. Trump said he would approve of a candidate linked to the previous regime, “in order to choose a good leader.”
“There are numerous people that could qualify,” he added.
The post Live Updates: 7th U.S. service member dies in war with Iran, new supreme leader close to being named first appeared on Voxtrend News.