The leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards has expressed support for the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Reuters reported.
He is the son of the assassinated Ali Khamenei and was elected by the Assembly of Experts earlier yesterday, despite Donald Trump's warning that a leader who is elected without "without permission" from Washington will not last long.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards have a central role in Iran's defense against US and Israeli strikes. In recent days, they have been shelling Israeli territory and targets in Middle Eastern countries they claim are linked to the US.
The Guard also controls the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for oil trade.
Iran has “betrayed us“, but all countries must de-escalate, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in an interview with Sky News.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described Iran's strikes on Gulf states as “a dangerous error in judgment”, warning that escalation risks destabilizing the region and sending “shock waves” in the global economy.
Speaking to the media for the first time since Qatar was subjected to repeated missile and drone attacks, the prime minister said the country had entered a “very difficult period”, but praised the professionalism of its defense and security forces. Al Thani made no secret of his anger at Iran's actions. Qatar has traditionally presented itself as a global mediator, able to talk to everyone. Now relations with Tehran appear strained. He noted that he never expected Iran to attack its neighbors in the Persian Gulf and described Tehran's actions as “betrayal” because civilian targets were also hit. Although he condemned the strikes, the Qatari prime minister has repeatedly stressed that military escalation will only deepen the crisis and that the responsibility to take a step back lies with all parties.
We continue to strive for de-escalation. The Iranians are our neighbors - this is our destiny, Al Thani said. However, he also called on the United States to reduce tensions, warning of the risk of the entire region escalating into war. According to him, diplomacy remains the only viable way out of the crisis.
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir warned that the state of emergency in the country could last “much longer“, due to the conflict that is shaking the Middle East.
"Israel has been in a state of emergency for two years now. We need to show perseverance and patience, it will take a long time, so we need to be prepared. "As long as it takes," said Eyal Zamir.
After the start of Israeli and US strikes on Iran, Israel declared a state of emergency - closing schools and banning gatherings due to Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The army ordered citizens to follow emergency guidelines.
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump spoke for the first time since the US president angrily criticized the UK's slow response to Iran. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the prime minister, saying that only British politicians can make decisions regarding Britain's interests.
From "Downing Street" 10 released limited details of the conversation, which showed the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and military cooperation between the UK and the US.
On Saturday, Trump said the UK was considering sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East, but dismissed the possibility, writing on social media "we don't need people joining wars we've already won". Starmer had previously said the UK would not join offensive action, but had agreed to allow the US to use British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Also today, in an interview with the BBC, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Keir Starmer was "right to stand up for UK interests" and that the UK government cannot agree with Donald Trump “on every issue“.
“The US President has to decide what he thinks is in the national interest of the US and that is his job. But our job as the UK government is to decide what is in the national interest of the UK and that does not mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries,“ Cooper pointed out.
The leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, called on Keir Starmer to advise the king to cancel his state visit to the US.
“At a time when Trump has started an illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and increasing energy bills for British families, it is clear that this visit should not take place“, Davey said.
Keir Starmer has received a letter from Labour MPs calling on the UK to pay reparations to Palestine for “war crimes” they say were committed by British forces in the first half of the 20th century,“The Times“ reported.
18 MPs from the House of Commons and a Labour peer from the House of Lords are demanding an apology for Britain's decision to withdraw from Palestine, which led to the creation of Israel. It is part of a campaign by Britain Owes Palestine, an organisation that in September submitted a 400-page legal petition to the government claiming it had “irrefutable evidence” that the UK broke international law when it controlled Palestine during the British Mandate.
The government has yet to respond to the legal petition and could face a Supreme Court challenge if it continues to refuse to commit. In the letter, MPs say British forces killed and tortured Palestinians while the territory was under their control between 1917 and 1948, and Starmer must apologise “so that we can move forward with the healing of this open wound”.