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Iran’s Meeting of Consultants, a physique of 88 clerics, introduced on Monday that Ayatollah Mojtaba Hussein Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei who was assassinated by a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28, has been elected the brand new Supreme Chief. Mr. Khamenei, 56, is the third Supreme Chief of the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Donald Trump had mentioned final week that he wished to be concerned within the election of Iran’s new chief. He additionally signalled that Mr. Khamenei was not acceptable to him. However Mr. Trump appears to have little or no affect among the many Majles-e Khobregan (Meeting of Consultants). Instantly after Mr. Khamenei was appointed, Iran launched a volley of missiles in direction of Israel, because the conflict entered the tenth day on Monday.
Inside 10 days, the battle has already turn out to be regional. The U.S. and Israel have dropped 1000’s of bombs in Iran, hitting a number of navy and financial targets. Iran says round 1,400 folks had been killed within the conflict. Darkish haze enveloped Tehran on Sunday after oil storage services had been bombed. Iran additionally accused the U.S. of bombing a desalination plant. In keeping with an evaluation by the New York Instances, U.S. missile strikes probably hit a ladies’ elementary college in Minab by which at the very least 160 folks had been killed. Iran has attacked U.S. bases and navy property throughout the area in addition to Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles focused oil services within the Persian Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz stays successfully shut. Some Gulf international locations have decreased oil manufacturing and others have warned of an entire halt within the coming days if the conflict continues. Crude value hit a 52-week excessive on Monday at $110 a barrel. Mr. Trump, who began this conflict, says it’s a “short-term” ache.
On Day 1, Mr. Trump mentioned the overthrow of the Iranian state was his aim. He urged the Iranians to take over the establishments, saying “it is a once-in-a-generation” alternative. It didn’t occur. On Day 2, Mr. Trump mentioned he has “agreed to speak” to Iran as Tehran sought negotiations. In response, Ali Larijani, Iran’s Safety Council Secretary, mentioned “We gained’t negotiate with the People”. Final week, Mr. Trump mentioned he wouldn’t make a take care of Iran and demanded Tehran’s “full give up”. He mentioned the conflict can be over solely after Iran’s give up and the appointment of a brand new supreme chief who is appropriate to him. Mr. Larijani responded once more, saying, “we gained’t let Trump off the hook this time”. And on Sunday night time, Iran selected a brand new Supreme Chief, signalling that the state continues to operate regardless of the conflict. Israel and the U.S. can proceed to bomb Iran, however the bombing marketing campaign doesn’t appear to be serving to the U.S. to fulfill its goal of regime change.
Our journalists have been overlaying the totally different points of the conflict. See the stories by Meera Srinivasan, our correspondent in Sri Lanka, in regards to the U.S. assault on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast. The ship IRIS Dena was within the area to attend a naval train in Visakhapatnam. After the assault, Sri Lanka evacuated 208 members of one other Iranian ship, IRINS Bushehr, which was stranded close to its territorial waters. The U.S. assault on Dena signalled a harmful spillover of the West Asia conflict to the waters near India’s coast.
One query many requested because the conflict broke out is: the place are Russia and China, Iran’s shut pals? The Washington Put up ran a narrative final week saying Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran in regards to the location and motion of American property and troopers within the area. To grasp China’s place, Ananth Krishnan, our correspondent in Beijing, has two tales. On this interview, Wang Dong, professor on the College of Worldwide Research at Peking College, says navy ventures carry long-term decline. And China’s International Minister Wang Yi spoke a couple of host of points in a press convention on Sunday, together with ties with India, the necessity for BRICS cooperation and the conflict in West Asia. Learn Ananth’s evaluation right here.
Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu’s diplomatic affairs editor, has interviewed Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Finland is a NATO ally of the U.S. On this interview, Mr. Stubb mentioned Europe would again the U.S. towards Iran, however added that the U.S. and Israel are appearing ‘exterior the framework of worldwide regulation’. Learn the interview right here.
As Iran has a brand new supreme chief, it is very important perceive Iran’s political system. See this explainer. We even have a profile of Ali Larijani, the Safety Council chief, some of the highly effective males in at present’s Iran. The thinker who seeks vengeance.
The High 5
1. The legality of U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran
U.S., Israel launch strikes on Iran as a ‘pre-emptive’ response to an imminent menace, elevating questions in regards to the legality of the usage of drive beneath the UN Constitution; missile strike on a ladies’ major college raises issues over violations of Worldwide Humanitarian Legislation, notably the ideas of distinction, proportionality, precaution, writes Kartikey Singh.
2. Why does the Strait of Hormuz’s closure matter?
The place is the Strait of Hormuz and what’s its significance? Why have tensions in West Asia affected this passage? What does Iran need to do with the near-complete closure of the strait? How does the state of affairs have an effect on India and what’s the authorities doing about it? writes M. Kalyanaraman.
3. India-Canada uranium deal and India’s nuclear programme | Defined
India has more and more relied on imported uranium, which at the moment meets almost three-fourths of the civilian want, writes Vasudevan Mukunth.
4. Rastriya Swatantra Celebration – the bell strikes
The social gathering that campaigned on anti-corruption, anti-establishment platforms has emerged because the winner of Nepal’s first post-protest election, writes Sanjeev Satgainya.
5. West Asia on fireplace
India ought to oppose the U.S.’s try to widen the conflict to the Indian Ocean, writes The Hindu on this editorial.
Printed – March 09, 2026 12:13 pm IST