Conflicting reports emerge on fate of ex-Iran President Ahmadinejad
Iranian media denied on Tuesday reports that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was killed in an armed attack in central Tehran. Previous reports stated that masked gunmen assassinated the former Iranian president, along with his wife and two sons.
These developments come amid escalating tensions in the region.
Some reports claim Ahmadinejad was shot and seriously injured, while others suggest he may have died. However, no official confirmation has yet been issued by Iranian authorities.
In the span of about eight hours on Monday, President Donald Trump went from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained "achievable" to urging Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut his visit to the international G7 summit short to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.
Trump expressed frustration with Iranian leaders for failing to reach an agreement, adding that he wants "a real end" to the conflict and a "complete give-up" of Tehran's nuclear program.
In his remarks, Trump asserted that Iran is "very close to possessing a nuclear weapon," emphasizing that his country offers no guarantees regarding the possibility of its intervention in the escalating military conflict between Iran and Israel.
At the same time, the Israeli Defense Minister escalated his rhetoric, confirming that the Israeli army would launch attacks "on very important targets inside Tehran," calling on civilians to leave the targeted areas.
International parties are warning of the possibility of the situation sliding into a full-scale confrontation, amid faltering diplomatic efforts to contain the escalating crisis between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
23 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Tehran will respond if US crosses 'red line', says Iranian ambassador to the UN
The United States is "complicit" in Israel's strikes in Iran, Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations claimed on Wednesday, vowing that his country would respond if Washington crosses a "red line". After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel says its surprise air campaign that began on June 13 is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies. Iran said early Wednesday that it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the arch foes. US President Donald Trump has said that Washington has played no part in the bombing campaign by its ally Israel, but has also warned Iran that his patience is wearing thin. "We firmly believe that the United States is complicit in what Israel is doing," Iranian ambassador Ali Bahreini told a press conference. "And at any time, at any point, if we come to the conclusion that the United States is directly involved in attacks against Iran, we will start responding to the United States." He said Tehran was "vigilant" about Trump's "completely unwarranted" and "hostile" remarks. "There is a line which, if crossed, there should be a response on our side... once the red line is crossed, the response will come," Bahreini said. "We will respond strongly and we will stop aggression from any side, be it Israel or the United States," he told the UN correspondents' association. "And we have given a message to the United States that we will respond very firmly and will stop the aggression by anybody -- including the United States. Bahreini also said Tehran was "resolute in responding to Israeli attacks". "We will respond very, very, very seriously and strongly, and that is what we are doing now. Nobody should expect Iran to show any kind of restraint," he said. He also criticised the attitude of Western and European nations. "Not only they are not condemning the attacks and aggression, they are trying to justify the aggression," he said. Asked about a possible resumption of negotiations with Washington over Iran's nuclear programme, the ambassador said that for now, Iran was "not thinking about any scenario" other than "defending ourselves". Addressing the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Bahreini issued a warning to Israel's allies. "The Israeli regime's supporters, and the United States at the forefront, should know that supporting this regime means directly supporting international humanitarian and human rights law violations," he said.
Khaleej Times
23 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
WhatsApp 'concerned' services to be blocked after Iran calls to delete app
WhatsApp said it was "concerned" that its services would be blocked in Iran after a state broadcaster urged the public to delete the messaging app, saying it was sharing data with arch-rival Israel. State television IRIB appealed to Iranians on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from their phones, alleging that the app collected users' personal data and "last known locations and communications," and shared them with Israel. On Wednesday, Israel and Iran exchanged fire for the sixth straight day, with Israel saying it struck a nuclear site near Tehran. A WhatsApp spokesperson dismissed the IRIB claims, saying all messages sent on the app were "end-to-end encrypted," with only the sender and recipient able to access them. "We're concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most," the spokesperson told AFP. "We do not track your precise location, we don't keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another," they said. WhatsApp also does not "provide bulk information to any government". Israel launched a massive bombing campaign against Iran on Friday that has hit nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas. Iran has responded by launching missiles and drones, and early on Wednesday said it had fired hypersonic missiles at Israel. Tehran announced on Friday that it was placing temporary restrictions on the Internet for the duration of the conflict. Numerous sites and apps have since been at least partially inaccessible. The authorities appealed to the public on Tuesday to "minimise their use of equipment connected to the internet and to take appropriate precautions" online. For their own safety, civil servants and their security teams have been banned from using any connected devices, including smartphones, watches and laptops during the Israeli air offensive. In the wake of nationwide protests triggered by the 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, Iranian authorities had blocked several apps and online services, including WhatsApp.
Gulf Today
44 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
Airports close across Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region's airspace
After Israeli strikes landed near the hotel where he was staying in the Iranian province of Qom, Aimal Hussein desperately wanted to return home. But the 55-year-old Afghan businessman couldn't find a way, with Iranian airspace completely shut down. He fled to Tehran after the strike on Sunday, but no taxi would take him to the border as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensified. "Flights, markets, everything is closed, and I am living in the basement of a small hotel," Hussein told The Associated Press by cellphone on Monday. "I am trying to get to the border by taxi, but they are hard to find, and no one is taking us." Israel launched a major attack Friday with strikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran and elsewhere, killing senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and destroying critical infrastructure. Among the targets was a nuclear enrichment facility about 18 miles from Qom. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles. The dayslong attacks between the two bitter enemies have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of attacks across their skies every night. The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have stopped all flights or severely reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or travel home. "The domino effect here is massive," said retired pilot and aviation safety expert John Cox, who said the disruptions will have a huge price tag. "You've got thousands of passengers suddenly that are not where they're supposed to be, crews that are not where they are supposed to be, airplanes that are not where they're supposed to be," he said. Zvika Berg was on an El Al flight to Israel from New York when an unexpected message came from the pilot as they began their descent: "Sorry, we've been rerouted to Larnaca." The 50-year-old Berg saw other Israel-bound El Al flights from Berlin and elsewhere landing at the airport in Cyprus. Now he's waiting at a Larnaca hotel while speaking to his wife in Jerusalem. "I'm debating what to do," Berg said. Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport "until further notice," leaving more than 50,000 Israeli travelers stranded abroad. The jets of the country's three airlines have been moved to Larnaca. In Israel, Mahla Finkleman was stuck in a Tel Aviv hotel after her Air Canada flight was canceled, trying to reassure her worried family back home while she shelters in the hotel's underground bunker during waves of overnight Iranian attacks. "We hear the booms. Sometimes there's shaking," she said. "The truth, I think it's even scarier … to see from TV what happened above our heads while we were underneath in a bomb shelter." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office warned Israelis not to flee the country through any of the three crossings with Jordan and Egypt that are open to the Israeli public. Despite having diplomatic ties with Israel, the statement said those countries are considered a "high risk of threat" to Israeli travelers. Iran on Friday suspended flights to and from the country's main Khomeini International Airport on the outskirts of Tehran. Israel said Saturday that it bombed Mehrabad Airport in an early attack, a facility in Tehran for Iran's air force and domestic commercial flights. Arsalan Ahmed is one of thousands of Indian university students stuck in Iran, with no way out. The medical student and other students in Tehran are not leaving the hostels where they live, horrified by the attacks with no idea of when they'll find safety. "It is very scary what we watch on television," Ahmed said. "But scarier are some of the deafening explosions." Universities have helped relocate many students to safer places in Iran, but the Indian government has not yet issued an evacuation plan for them. Associated Press
