**Livewire** Operation Epic Fury Day Ten: The Latest News From Iran and the Middle East

The military operation against Iran entered its tenth day on Monday. Iran’s new Supreme Leader is settling into the role, but is reportedly already wounded. President Trump has blasted the selection as a “big mistake” and has suggested that the younger Khamenei may not be long for the role.

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**Monday’s live updates below. All updates in Eastern time**

9:00 PM: Trump threatens “death, fire and fury”

President Donald Trump warned on Monday that if the Islamist Iranian regime or its proxies attempt to slow the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will strike “TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”

“Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier oil prices dropped — after hitting a four year high on Sunday — as President Trump suggested that the U.S. military operation in Iran may soon be completed. The president has also said that his administration will take steps to ensure that Iran cannot hold the world “hostage” through energy supplies, such as providing shipping insurance and potentially providing security through the Strait of Hormuz with the U.S. Navy.

7:50 PM: U.N. complains conflict in Iran bad for climate

Stephane Dujarric, an official spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Monday that the U.N. is “particularly concerned” over the recent strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure.

He said it could have “serious environmental consequences” across the region, potentially affecting water and air quality.

7:00 PM: Deadly Iranian attack in Bahrain

The Ministry of the Interior for Bahrain said on Monday evening that at least one person was killed and multiple others were left injured in an Iranian attack on a residential building in the Persian Gulf island nation’s capital of Manama.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Iran had struck its consulate in the Kurdish region of Iraq. No injuries were reported.

6:30 PM: U.S. will not allow Iran to hold global oil supply “hostage”

President Trump said that America is “putting an end” to the ability of the Islamist regime in Iran and its terrorist proxies to launch attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said will ultimately result in lower energy costs for Americans. Trump said that he will “not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply”.

“In the meantime, during this brief disruption, the United States is offering political risk insurance to any tankers operating in the Gulf… We are also waiving certain oil related sanctions to reduce prices… when the time comes, the U.S. Navy and its partners will escort tankers through the Strait if needed,” he said.

6:10 PM: U.S. has hit over 5,000 targets in Iran

In his first press conference since launching Operation Epic Fury, President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States has hit over 5,000 targets in Iran, including the sinking of 51 Iranian naval vessels and recent B2 bomber strikes, with “2,000-pound bombs to destroy missile launchers all over Iran, buried deep in Iranian soil.”

“We’re also annihilating the manufacturing base that the regime uses to build drones and missiles,” President Trump said.

“On the very first day I came down the escalator in 2015, I said, ‘I will stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons’ — and all I’m doing is keeping my promise,” he added.

5:50 PM: Australia to grant asylum to Iranian soccer players after Trump pressure

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said that the five female Iranian soccer players who faced threats in their homeland for refusing to sing the Islamist regime’s national anthem during a match last week have been granted asylum, saying Monday evening that they are “welcome to stay in Australia”.

This came after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly lobbied on their behalf, during which he called on Canberra to offer the women asylum.

5:30 PM: Israel conducts fresh wave of strikes on Tehran

The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday evening that it has begun an “extensive” round of new airstrikes on the Iranian capital targeting holdouts of the Islamist regime. According to the Times of Israel, it is the second round of such strikes on Tehran on Monday.

5:00 PM: “Little excursion” in Iran, Trump says

Speaking at the House Republicans’ annual retreat at Doral, Florida, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the military operations in Iran are going to be a “short-term excursion” to get “rid of some evil” in Tehran.

Stocks rallied, and oil prices dropped earlier today after President Trump suggested that the conflict in Iran is ahead of schedule and will potentially be completed soon.

4:00 PM: Stocks soar after Trump suggest Iran operations nearly complete

According to CNBC, stocks rebounded on Monday after President Donald Trump suggested that the conflict in Iran could be coming to a close soon.

The financial news outlet reported that the Dow Jones added 250 points, or 0.5 per cent in the wake of the president’s comments, while the broad market index climbed 0.8 per and the Nasdaq Composite rose by 1.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, the price of oil also fell significantly after Trump suggested that the U.S. military could take over control of the Strait of Hormuz to protect international energy shipments.

3:45 PM: Trump floats idea of U.S. “taking over” Strait of Hormuz, says war nearly done

Speaking to CBS News Senior White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is considering taking further action to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway spanning from Iran to Oman through which a fifth of global oil supplies flow annually.

Trump said that while some ships are moving through the Strait despite the Iranian threat, he said that he is “thinking about taking it over.”

The President added that Operation Epic Fury is “very far” ahead of schedule, perhaps suggesting the conflict could come to a close earlier than the initial four- to five-week estimate.

“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” he remarked.

3:10 PM: UK may not deploy aircraft carrier after all

Despite reports over the weekend speculating that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was intent on getting past his dithering early response to the conflict in Iran by deploying the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, Downing Street has downplayed the notion on Monday. Breitbart London Bureau Chief Oliver JJ Lane has more here.

Meanwhile, the leader of Britain’s longest rival, French President Emmanuel Macron, posted glamour shots of himself touring the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier after it was deployed last week in a demonstration of French power projection.

2:35 PM: Iran made a “big mistake”, says Trump

Speaking to NBC News on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said of the selection of Motjaba Khamenei to replace his father as Iranian Supreme Leader: “I think they made a big mistake… I don’t know if it’s going to last. I think they made a mistake.”

President Trump has previously cast the younger Khamenei as a “lightweight” and has said that any future Iranian leader should be chosen with the approval of his administration, as was done in Venezuela following the fall of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.

2:25 PM: Israel accuses new Supreme Leader of being a “tyrant” like his father

In a social media post on Monday, Jerusalem’s Foreign Ministry said that recently selected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is just “another tyrant to continue the Iranian regime’s brutality.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” the Israeli ministry said. “Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father’s rule.”

Khamenei, who was selected by the Assembly of Experts on Sunday to replace his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has long been a power broker behind the scenes in Tehran, and is said to have been a key ally of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with some suggesting that he orchestrated his 2005 electoral victory.

1:30 PM: Iranian president hails new Supreme Leader

“The valuable choice of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is a manifestation of the people’s will in governance,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday.

“The resolution of the country’s problems can be achieved through his wise leadership and by creating an environment based on trust and public participation. I beseech God for his success in safeguarding the sacred unity and building an advanced and independent Iran,” he added.

Under the Iranian system, President Pezeshkian will be subservient to the Supreme Leader, who holds ultimate authority while the president manages day-to-day governance.

The selection of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, who was killed in an Israeli air strike last month, has drawn criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has predicted that he will not last long in his newfound position of authority. Trump has said that any new leader of the country should meet American approval.

12:50 PM: Iran says security in Strait of Hormuz ‘unlikely’ during war

In response to mooted plans from French President Emmanuel Macron to protect shipping in the critical waterway between Oman and Iran — through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows — the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, suggested that Tehran intends to keep using security in the Strait as a key bargaining chip.

“It is unlikely that any security will be achieved in the Strait of Hormuz amid the fires of the war ignited by the United States and Israel in the region, especially if that is by the design of parties that were not far removed from supporting this war and contributing to its fanning,” Larijani said.

According to the BBC, traffic in the waterway has ground to a near-complete halt amid threats from Iranian proxies, with only one ship passing through the Strait over the past day.

12:15 PM: Israel takes out another Hezbollah leader in Lebanon

According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF killed Abu Hussein Ra’ab, the head of Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit, one of three regional branches of the Iranian-backed terror group in southern Lebanon.

“Not only will we not withdraw in the face of Hezbollah, but we will take advantage of the opportunity to strike it and exact a price from it. We have an opportunity to bring very, very great security,” Katz said per the Times of Israel.

Fighting broke out in Lebanon last week after Hezbollah broke the longstanding ceasefire with Israel following the killing of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in air strike on his Tehran compound.

11:50 AM: EU warns of “major stagflationary shock” if Iran conflict drags on

In the wake of oil prices soaring past $100 per barrel for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Monday that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could cause significant damage to the global economy.

“If it drags on, with disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on the energy infrastructure of the Gulf States, it could end up causing a major stagflationary shock to the global and European economy ,” he said per Le Figaro.

11:20 AM: Trump “not happy” with new Khamenei

Speaking to the New York Post on Monday morning, U.S President Donald Trump expressed his displeasure with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader of Iran.

While Trump said that he would not reveal America’s plans for the younger Khamenei, he said: “I’m not happy with him.”

The U.S. President had previously described the 56-year-old cleric as a “lightweight” and warned that any new Iranian leader would need his approval.

Additionally, President Trump told The Post that he is “nowhere near” ordering troops on the ground in Iran, saying: “We haven’t made any decision on that.”

11:10 AM:  German Chancellor: Iranian regime must be “shut down”

“The sooner the mullah regime stops, the sooner this war will be over,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday, according to the BBC.

“Iran is the centre of international terrorism, and this centre must be shut down, and the Americans and Israelis are doing that in their own way,” he added.

11:00 AM: Iranian soccer players deserve asylum, says Trump

Trump demands Australia grant asylum to five members of the Iranian female soccer team over concerns they will face persecution in their homeland after refusing to sing the national anthem of the Islamist regime during a match against South Korea last week.

“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”

10:20 AM: Iran trying to “hold world hostage”, says Rubio

Speaking from an event in Washington DC on Monday morning, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the world is “going to be a safer and a better place when this mission is accomplished” in Iran.

Rubio said that the Islamist regime in Tehran is “trying to hold the world hostage” by attacking their neighbours, their energy infrastructure, civilian populations, and embassies.

“This is a terrorist government, this is a terroristic regime, and we are seeing them conduct terrorism, using nation-state elements, using missiles, one-way attack drones, and the objective of this mission is to destroy their ability to continue to do that, and we are well on our way to achieving that objective,” Secretary Rubio said.

10:00 AM: Macron announces “unprecedented” naval deployment

Speaking from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris will mobilize eight frigates, two amphibious helicopter carriers and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier as a show of force and to potentially protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in Iran.

“This mobilization of our navy is unprecedented. It is obviously being carried out in conjunction with the mobilization of our air and land forces in the region,” Macron said per Le Figaro. “France’s aim is to contribute to de-escalation, to the safety of our citizens, to the security of our partners, and to freedom of navigation and maritime security.”

Highlighting the importance of “strategic partnerships”, Macron said: “When Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked.” The EU nation came under fire from Iranian drones last week in an apparent attempted attack on the British military base on the island.

09:30 AM: Hezbollah backs new Supreme Leader

The Iranian-backed Islamist terror group Hezbollah said on Monday that it supports Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader. Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel last week in the wake of the strikes that killed the former Iranian leader.

“We in Hezbollah extend our warmest congratulations and blessings on this occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance,” they said in a statement reported by the Times of Israel.

09:10 AM: Ukraine in demand

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 11 countries have now reached out to Kyiv over its expertise in dealing with Iranian drones, which Vladimir Putin’s Russia have been using for years in the Eastern European conflict.

Zelensky said that interest in Ukrainian know-how extended from countries neighbouring Iran, to Europe and the United States.

“There is clear interest in Ukraine’s experience in protecting lives, relevant interceptors, electronic warfare systems, and training,” he said.

Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian experts would be deployed to the Middle East this week.

08:45 AM: Second missile shot down heading to Turkey

Another Iranian attempted attack on American ally Turkey was thwarted on Monday after a ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted and destroyed by NATO air defense systems on its way to Turkish airspace. This marks the second time in less than a week that Turkey has been targeted by an Iranian missile.

Ankara said that while it favours “good neighbourly relations and regional stability,” it is willing to act “without hesitation” against any threat, saying that “it is in everyone’s interest” to heed the warning.

Meanwhile, Turkey deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems on Monday to Northern Cyprus, a de facto state on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus only recognised by Ankara.

08:15 AM: Was the explosion outside the U.S. embassy a terror attack?

There was a blast at the front door of the U.S. Embassy in Oslo in the early hours of Sunday morning; fortunately, nobody was seriously injured. But coming when it does and after concern in Europe about the potential for long-feared Iranian sleeper cells to be activated in our cities, the question is begged: was this an attempted terror attack? The Norwegian authorities certainly think it may be, as reported by our Kurt Zindulka.

 

08:00 AM: This isn’t Iraq

Urban warfare scholar John Spencer told Breitbart News that there have been “lazy comparisons” between the Iran strikes and the Iraq war, and the opening “decapitation strike” last week was historic. He told our correspondent: “Taking out leadership after leadership creates what we call cognitive paralysis”. It’s an interesting interview, and you can read more here.

 

06:30 AM: The new Supreme Leader is wounded already

Well, that didn’t take long. Khamenei junior is said to have been wounded already. Read the full report from our Simon Kent here.

 

06:20 AM: Putin congratulates Mojtaba Khamenei

As we reported yesterday, Iran’s ‘Assembly of Experts’ has chosen the son of the old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him as supreme leader. While Iran’s friendship with Russia may have done it precious little good this past week, President Vladimir Putin was nevertheless quick to offer his congratulations to Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei this morning.

In a statement published by The Kremlin, President Putin said:

Please accept my sincere congratulations… At a time when Iran is confronting armed aggression, your tenure in this high position will undoubtedly require great courage and dedication.

I am confident that you will honorably continue your father’s work… I would like to reaffirm our unwavering support for Tehran and solidarity with our Iranian friends. Russia has been and will remain a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic.

I wish you success in solving the difficult tasks facing you, as well as good health and strength of spirit.

 

For earlier Livewire updates from Saturday, please click here