US AND CANADA

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Iran's newly installed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz should remain closed, describing the move as a powerful lever against Iran's adversaries as regional tensions continue to intensify.

Speaking in televised remarks carried by Iranian state media, Khamenei said the closure of the narrow waterway, one of the world's most critical oil transit routes, was necessary to pressure countries backing the ongoing military campaign against Iran.

"The Strait cannot reopen while aggression continues," he said, adding that American military installations across the Middle East should shut down immediately or risk becoming targets.

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Four U.S. service members have been confirmed dead after a military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting ongoing operations in the region, according to the U.S. military.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the KC-135 Stratotanker went down at about 2 p.m. ET on March 12. Six crew members were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, with four deaths confirmed while rescue efforts continued for the remaining two personnel.

"At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq," CENTCOM said in a statement. "Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue."

Officials said the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation. However, the military has ruled out combat involvement in the incident.

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Iran has warned US President Donald Trump to 'be careful not to be eliminated' after he said he did not believe the regime's new Supreme Leader can 'live in peace'.

Trump had told Iran to brace for 'death, fire, and fury' for keeping the Strait of Hormuz shut before threatening its new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

He told Fox the new Supreme Leader will be unable to ‘live in peace’ and he was ‘not happy with the appointment’, having warned Iran he would have the final say over their leader.

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President Donald Trump took aim at Barack Obama during his speech at Kentucky, joking about the former president’s walk down the stairs and calling it “unpresidential.”

Speaking to his Republican supporters, Trump criticised Obama's walk while framing it as a compliment.

He explained that he admired the way Obama "bobbed" down the stairs when walking. He claimed the walk was "unpresidential" but said he admired that Obama did not fall down while bobbing.

He then threw shade at Joe Biden, pointing out that he fell multiple times. “The only thing I admired about Barack Hussein Obama, which was nothing actually. But the only thing is the way he was bob down the stairs,” Trump said.

“You talk about unpresidential, his bob… and I couldn’t believe that he made it without at least a noticeable major fall.

“But Biden was the opposite. Biden couldn’t even walk up the stairs. He fell three times walking up the stairs.”

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President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s next supreme leader will struggle to remain in power without his approval, as Tehran prepares to announce a successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Nine days after US-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei and pushed the Middle East into a wider conflict, Iran’s Assembly of Experts met privately and selected a new leader, according to members of the body.

The clerics did not reveal the name of the chosen successor but said the announcement would be made soon. Some insiders have suggested that Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could take over from his father.

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United States President Donald Trump has said that Iran will still be welcome to participate in this summer’s FIFA World Cup, even as tensions and military conflict continue between the United States and Iran. The comments were revealed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the two leaders held discussions about preparations for the upcoming tournament.

Infantino shared details of the meeting on Instagram, explaining that he met with Trump on Tuesday to discuss the organization of the World Cup. The tournament will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico and is scheduled to begin on 11 June. It will be the first time the competition is hosted by three countries.

According to Infantino, the conversation also touched on the current situation involving Iran. The country’s participation in the tournament has been uncertain following the outbreak of military action earlier this month. Strikes launched by the United States and Israel targeted Iran and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf Arab nations that host American military bases. These countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

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Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the k!lling of his father, Ali Khamenei.

The decision was announced on Sunday, March 8, by the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for selecting the country’s supreme leader.