DUBAI/WASHINGTON: As hostilities escalated on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Washington should have a voice in determining the future leadership of Iran. U.S. and Israeli aircraft continued strikes across Iranian territory, while Gulf cities once again faced bombardment.
In an interview with Reuters, Trump dismissed the possibility that Mojtaba Khamenei—son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and long seen by hardliners as a potential successor—would rise to power. “We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who will lead Iran into the future,” he stated.
Trump also voiced support for offensive action by Iranian Kurdish forces, saying, “I’d be all for it.” His administration has maintained contacts with Kurdish groups since the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign began. He declined to clarify whether American air support would accompany any Kurdish operations.
The proposal carries political risk for the Republican president, with polling indicating limited public enthusiasm and growing concern over rising fuel prices linked to disruptions in energy markets. Trump played down those worries.
Israeli forces intensify operations
On the sixth day of the war, Iranian strikes targeted Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Firefighters in Bahrain extinguished flames at a refinery after a missile attack.
Drone assaults also struck an Iranian opposition camp in Iraqi Kurdistan and an oil installation run by an American company, according to security sources.
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for areas including eastern Tehran, while Iranian media reported explosions in the capital. State television confirmed 17 deaths at a guesthouse north of Tehran following an airstrike.
“Today is worse than yesterday. They are hitting northern Tehran. We have nowhere to go. It is like a war zone. Help us,” said Tehran resident Mohammadreza, speaking by phone as blasts echoed nearby.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of American forces in the Middle East, insisted the military possessed sufficient munitions for prolonged operations. “Iran is betting we cannot sustain this, and that is a serious miscalculation,” Hegseth said. Cooper added that U.S. forces had struck at least 30 Iranian vessels and targeted deep missile facilities using heavy penetrator bombs.
Officials reported a sharp decline in Iranian missile launches—down roughly 90 percent from the war’s opening day—and an 83 percent reduction in drone attacks.
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Regional spillover
Azerbaijan claimed on Thursday that drones had entered its airspace, prompting a temporary closure of southern skies. Tehran denied involvement, yet the incident highlighted the conflict’s rapid expansion since the initial airstrikes that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Gulf states, along with Cyprus and Turkey, remain within range of missiles and drones. European nations announced plans to deploy naval assets to the eastern Mediterranean. Hostilities even reached waters near Sri Lanka, where an Iranian warship was reportedly sunk by a U.S. submarine, killing 80 sailors.
Iranian authorities reported 1,230 deaths since the conflict began, including 175 schoolchildren and staff killed in a southern primary school strike. Lebanon’s health ministry recorded 77 fatalities, and thousands evacuated southern Beirut after Israeli warnings.
Economic and diplomatic fallout
Global markets fell as oil prices surged, reflecting the loss of a fifth of worldwide energy supplies and widespread disruption to logistics and aviation.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for hitting a U.S. tanker in the Gulf, alleging it was ablaze. Washington neither confirmed nor denied the report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged progress but cautioned that “much work still lies ahead.” Iran’s foreign minister warned that the United States would “bitterly regret” sinking a vessel in international waters. A Revolutionary Guards commander declared readiness to confront American forces “wherever they are.”
Plans to display the body of Supreme Leader Khamenei for public mourning were postponed, delaying a ceremony expected to attract large crowds.
Analysts noted that Israel’s military strategy may shift toward targeting underground bunkers believed to house Iranian missiles, signaling a potential second phase of the campaign.
