Jonathan Sacerdoti is a broadcaster and writer covering politics, culture and religion
The new supreme leader of Iran has still not been seen in public. Instead, the country’s state television broadcast what it described as his first message to the nation: a speech attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, read out by a newsreader in a studio, with no appearance or recording of the man himself. In the address,
Overnight on Wednesday, around 100 Basij soldiers were killed across Tehran by dozens to hundreds of suicide drones in a covert operation some are comparing to Israel’s previous pager operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The drones hit Basij bases, motorcycles, and vehicles, targeting IRGC, Basij, and special forces checkpoints. Inside Israel, political debate is intensifying over
The government has approved a request from the Metropolitan Police to ban the annual Al-Quds day march in London, which was due to take place this Sunday. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the decision was necessary to prevent ‘serious public disorder’. The Met cited the expected scale of the protest, the likelihood of large counter-demonstrations,
Situation report Nearly four days after Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei as its next ‘Supreme Leader’, his whereabouts remain unknown. The 56-year-old cleric and son of Ali Khamenei has not appeared publicly, delivered a speech, or issued even a written statement since the announcement. Iranian state media has instead relied on archival footage when introducing him
Situation report The war with Iran shows little sign of slowing. Even as Donald Trump said on Monday that the war was ‘very complete, pretty much’ and suggested it was nearing its end, fresh waves of strikes continued overnight across Iran while missiles were fired toward Israeli cities. The exchange now stretches from southern Lebanon
As the war continues, the Iranian regime has pressed ahead with appointing its new Supreme Leader. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, was formally elevated in Tehran even as Israeli and American strikes continue to dismantle the regime’s military leadership, its fighting forces and its air defences – a striking dynastic turn for a
The war with Iran entered its second week on Saturday with intense fighting across multiple fronts, as Israeli forces struck deep inside Iran while Tehran retaliated with missiles and drones across the region. Political rhetoric in Washington and Jerusalem meanwhile suggested the conflict could widen further still. The day began with reports of renewed Israeli
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has announced that the country’s temporary leadership council has approved the suspension of attacks against neighbouring countries unless those countries launch attacks on Iran themselves. He said that the council decided the day before that Iran will stop attacking surrounding states unless attacks on Iran originate from those territories. The statement
Situation report The war in the Middle East shows no sign of slowing. Instead, there were heavy air strikes inside Iran and missile barrages across the region over the last 24 hours, with indications that the United States is preparing for a longer and potentially wider conflict. Israeli fighter jets carried out a major new
Israeli and American military operations against Iranian targets intensified over Thursday, while Iran and its proxy militias across the region sought ways to retaliate across a widening geographic arc. The day began with reports of expanding hostilities around Iran’s borders. Early in the morning, Iranian positions in eastern parts of the country – including areas
The war in the Middle East widened further over the past 24 hours, with missile interceptions stretching from Turkey to Saudi Arabia, naval clashes in the Indian Ocean and mounting pressure inside Iran itself. Nato air defences shot down an Iranian missile heading toward Turkish airspace, Saudi forces intercepted cruise missiles near Riyadh, and reports
Situation update The Middle East conflict intensified dramatically on Tuesday, as Israel and Iran exchanged strikes across multiple fronts while regional powers scrambled to respond to a rapidly widening confrontation stretching from Lebanon to the Gulf. The day began with reports of Iranian drone attacks far beyond the immediate battlefield. Overnight, two Iranian drones struck
Situation update The conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran has escalated dramatically, with simultaneous air strikes on Tehran and Beirut, missile exchanges across the Gulf, and drone attacks reaching the US embassy in Riyadh. By 7.30 a.m. Israel time, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced it was conducting a ‘wide-scale wave of attacks’
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, was presented with irrefutable evidence yesterday, including footage, confirming the death of Iran’s so-called ‘Supreme Leader’: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on his compound in Tehran, marking a pivotal blow to the Islamic republic regime. Initially Netanyahu only hinted at the fact that
This morning, the long-anticipated Israeli and American strikes on Iran finally arrived. At 08:10 am local time, Israel and the United States began a coordinated military operation against Iran. Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft took part in the opening strike. Blasts were heard in Tehran. Within hours, explosions were reported in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj
If anti-Israel agitators wish to avoid being described as terrorists, they might begin by ceasing to terrorise ordinary people. The smashing of the Gail’s branch in Archway, north London, red paint flung across its walls, slogans sprayed beside its door, is the latest instalment in a now familiar pattern: vandalism presented as virtue, intimidation dressed
Half of America’s deployable air power sits within striking distance of Iran, and yet Washington is negotiating. Gaza is promised a gleaming future, and yet Hamas still refuses to disarm.Is this strategic patience, or proof that the US President has been dangerously misled, indulging adversaries who are buying time? By placing comprehensive proposals on the
The question arose within hours of a death that should have remained a matter of grief. On 16 February, Dana Eden, co-creator and producer of the Israeli espionage series Tehran, was found dead in her hotel room at the Gatsby Athens. She was 52. Greek police are investigating and are treating the death as a
Perhaps the biggest talent of humanity is our gift to adapt to challenging circumstances with creativity and ingenuity. It may also be our biggest fault. Just two days after I stood in the central Gaza Strip, touring the area and seeing the Yellow Line for myself, the IDF yesterday announced another serious breach of the
British Jews are under threat. That was the blunt warning from Sir Stephen Watson after a jury at Preston Crown Court convicted Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein of preparing acts of terrorism. The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police said that had their plan succeeded it would have been ‘one of the worst atrocities’ the
