US-Iran war updates: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Motjaba Khamenei issues first statement since appointment

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Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Motjaba Khamenei has delivered his first public statement since his appointment.

In a message read on State TV by an anchor, Khamenei warned the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed as a “tool of pressure,” according to comments translated by the BBC.

He also sent a warning to the US to close all bases in the region or they will “be attacked.”

Refering to them as “the enemy”, Khamenei declared the US and Israel must pay “compensation” for their actions.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became the new leader.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his desire for his country to enter a drone production deal with the United States.

“We wanted to sign a big drone production deal with the United States, but we needed the approval from the White House,” Zelensky said on social media.

“It was about different kinds of drones and air defense. They operate as one system and can defend against hundreds or thousands of Iranian “shaheds“ and missiles.

“We didn’t have the opportunity to sign this document yet. I hope that maybe American friends will be closer to this decision now, especially after such challenges as we see in the Middle East.”

Ukraine has been developing its defence systems to counter Iranian shahed drones which Russia has been using during its invasion of Ukraine.

Kyiv has also provided interceptor drones to the US, which it used to defend its air bases in Jordan.

The IDF says it has destroyed the “Taleqan” nuclear program site, which it claims was used by the Iranian regime to develop “critical” nuclear weapons.

“The site was used in recent years to develop advanced explosives and conduct sensitive experiments as part of Project “Amad,” the secret program to develop nuclear weapons in the 2000s,” an IDF statement claimed.

“The strike constitutes an additional layer in the ongoing effort to deny the regime the core components required to achieve nuclear weapons.

“The strike is part of the sequence of actions carried out during Operation “Like a Lion,” whose purpose is to inflict deep and ongoing damage to the foundations of the nuclear program of the Iranian terror regime.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a blunt warning to the US and Israel, listing three demands which he says are key to ending the war.

President Pezeshkian claimed Iran has a “commitment to peace in the region” in a meeting with Russian and Pakistani diplomats.

“The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime & US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm (international) guarantees against future aggression,” he said.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has warned of “expanding operations in Lebanon” and informed the IDF to prepare after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel.

“Hezbollah fired heavy barrages yesterday toward the State of Israel,” Katz said.

“The IDF responded with force in Dahiyeh (a Beirut suburb) and against Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon.”

Katz also issued a warning to Lebanese president Joseph Auon, saying if the state cannot stop Hezbollah — which is backed by Iran — Israel will “take the territory and do it ourselves”.

“The IDF will continue to act forcefully against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which decided to join the fray and operate under the auspices of the Iranian regime, and will not allow harm to the civilians of the State of Israel,” an IDF statement said.

The UN Refugee Agency is reporting approximately 3.2 million Iranians have been displaced since the start of the war just 12 days ago.

“Most of them are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other major urban areas towards the north of the country and rural areas to seek safety,” a UNHCR statement said.

“This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs.

“Also affected are refugee families hosted in the country, mostly Afghans, who are particularly vulnerable, given their already precarious situation and limited support networks.

“Families are leaving affected areas amid rising insecurity and limited access to essential services.”

The AFP is reporting air strikes have killed “at least” 9 Iran-backed fighters in Iraq, according to two senior security officials.

The strikes occurred on the Iraq-Syria border and were targeting a Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya base — the faction is “blacklisted” by the United States.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has attacked a vessel from the Marshall Islands, claiming it was US-owned.

The IRGC says the ship, the Safesea, was “one of the assets of the US army” and was hit after “ignoring and not complying with warnings and alerts”.

The Israeli Defence Force is reporting approximately 200 rockets were launched into northern Israel on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

No injuries were reported, and the IDF says it intercepted the rockets before they caused damage.