Iran’s secretive new leader has issued his first public statements, resolving to keep fighting. In the statement released Thursday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei promised more pain for Gulf Arab states and threatened to open “other fronts” in a war that has already disrupted world energy supplies. Early Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new threat online to Iran, writing: “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.” Trump cited the damage inflicted on Iran and its leaders and called it a “great honor” to be responsible for it. The war continued to escalate as oil prices spiraled up again to $100 per barrel.
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As American and Israeli strikes pound the Islamic Republic and Iran attacks Persian Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure with no sign of an end to the war, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a new threat to Iran’s leaders on his Truth Social website. “They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” Trump wrote. “What a great honor it is to do so!” Intense strikes hit Tehran and areas surrounding Iran’s capital, as Iran continued striking at neighboring Arab Gulf States, helping to drive oil prices back above $100 a barrel.
AP Wire
The FBI says ROTC students subdued and killed a gunman who yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in a classroom at Virginia's Old Dominion University. One victim was killed and two others were hurt Thursday. The FBI has identified the shooter as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State. He had been sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released from federal custody in December 2024. FBI Director Kash Patel says in a social media post that the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
AP Wire
Iran’s new supreme leader vowed to keep attacking the country's Gulf Arab neighbors and using its threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. On Thursday, an anchor on Iranian state TV read Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement since becoming supreme leader. Khamenei did not appear on camera. An Israeli assessment indicates he was wounded in the war’s opening salvo. Oil prices have spiked above $100 as Iranian strikes keep hitting ships, effectively shutting down Persian Gulf oil exports. The Pentagon says the first week of war cost the United States $11.3 billion.
An American military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran has crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts are underway. It's not immediately clear if there are any casualties. A U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard. U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the crash isn't due to hostile fire or friendly fire. The military says two aircraft were involved and that one landed safely and the other went down in western Iraq. It described the latter as “a loss.”
Old Dominion University shooting suspect is ex-Army National Guard member with past terror conviction, AP source says.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year. Speaking on Thursday, Zelenskyy said the deal would cover various types of drones and air defenses to protect against swarms of Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Countries are scrambling to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings. Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago. Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by firing the same type of drones at targets in the Middle East.
AP Wire
Outdated intel likely led US to carry out deadly strike on Iranian elementary school, AP sources say
Outdated intelligence has likely led to the United States carrying out a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict, according to a U.S. official and a second person briefed on findings of a preliminary U.S military investigation into the incident. Now, dozens of Democratic senators are demanding answers from the Trump administration. The letter from more than 45 senators pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether the U.S. was, in fact, culpable. The senators also raised concerns about the hollowing out of a congressionally mandated office set up specifically to reduce civilian casualties.
Israeli military warns residents of a large swath of Lebanon to leave their homes, saying it will act against Hezbollah.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has become a test of who endures longer. The biggest pressure point appears to be the global economy, as oil prices surge. Iran attacked commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, setting a Thai cargo ship on fire, and Iranian drones also targeted Dubai's airport. The U.S. campaign of airstrikes is now in its 12th day, and Israel is also striking inside Iran while hitting what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Separately, an Israeli assessment says Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded early in the conflict.