Trump signals willingness to talk with Iran’s new leaders

U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued for a second day on Sunday after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of regional instability.

There were explosions in Tehran on Sunday as Israel said it was taking its attacks to the “heart” of Iran’s capital.

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Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel and at U.S. military installations around the Gulf, and also at the Saudi capital and the global business hub of Dubai.

Earlier Sunday, Iran selected a 66-year-old cleric to join the three-member leadership council that will govern the country until a new supreme leader is selected.

A senior White House official says that “new potential leadership” in Iran has suggested they are open for talks with the United States.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said U.S. President Donald Trump says he is “eventually” willing to talk, but for now the military operation “continues unabated.”

Trump told The Atlantic in an interview on Sunday that he planned to speak with Iran’s new leadership.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he said, declining to comment on the timing.

Strike details revealed on social media

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that Trump had spoken to the leaders of Israel, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, but didn’t provide further details.

Trump also said on social media that nine ships in the Iranian navy had been “destroyed” and sunk, “some of them relatively large and important,” adding the rest of Iran’s fleet of military vessels “will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!”

The CIA tracked the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for months before Saturday’s airstrikes, according to a person familiar with the operation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information about the Iranian leaders’ location, the person said.

B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-lb bombs, the U.S. military said in a post on X.

Ballistic missiles have been one of the concerns Trump has raised in the lead up to the attacks on Iran, also claining that Iran has been building ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland.

Iran hasn’t acknowledged it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in an unclassified report last year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

As well, the U.S. military says three service members have been killed and five seriously wounded in the Iran operation. Central Command made the announcement on social media Sunday without providing additional information.

OPEC Plus to increase oil production

OPEC Plus, a group of eight oil-producing countries, says it will increase oil production by 206,000 barrels a day in April in an effort to mitigate the impact on oil prices during the latest conflict in the Middle East.

The group, which includes Arab Gulf countries and Russia, has said in a statement that its members will “closely monitor and assess market conditions and in their continuous efforts to support market stability.”

The United Arab Emirates has closed its embassy in Iran and announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic mission after strikes from the Islamic Republic hit the country.

The announcement from the Gulf country’s Foreign Ministry comes as Iranian retaliatory attacks targeting U.S. bases in the Mideast have hit Dubai airport and other civilian buildings, forced the closure of its airspace, and disrupted daily life.

“The Foreign Ministry as confirmed that this decision reflects its firm and unwavering position against any aggression that threatens its security and sovereignty,” the statement said.

Turkey, Cuba send condolences to Iran

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a message of condolence over the death of Khamenei in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes.

In a post on X, Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability in the region, adding that Ankara would continue working toward a “return to diplomacy” to help end the conflict.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his administration extended its “deepest condolences” to Iran’s people and its government for what he called the assassination of Khamenei.

“This heinous act constitutes an unscrupulous violation of all norms of international law and human dignity,” he wrote in a post on X.

“In Cuba, he will be remembered as an outstanding statesman and leader of his people who contributed to the development of friendly relations between Cuba and Iran.”

Iraqi security forces have fired tear gas at dozens of pro-Iran protesters trying to enter the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad where the U.S. Embassy is located.

Protesters in Iraq earlier marched to mourn Khamenei and Iran-backed Iraqi militias have claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. bases in the country in solidarity with Tehran. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is one of the largest globally.

Iran’s FIFA World Cup games in U.S. in doubt

Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran’s soccer federation, cast doubt on the national team’s ability to play World Cup matches in the U.S. later this year.

Iran is scheduled to play two World Cup games in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle.

Taj told an Iranian sports television show he wasn’t sure how it would be possible following Saturday’s strikes.

“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj told sports portal Varzesh3.

Read more:

• Iran strikes back, vowing revenge after the killing of its top leader
• At least 10 killed in Pakistan as pro-Iranian protesters try to storm U.S. Consulate
• Gas prices could surge in Saskatchewan after Middle East strikes