The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt called in September for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan to be followed by a permanent ceasefire [GETTY]
Israel’s military said it has begun striking southern suburbs of the Lebanese capita Beirut, with the aim of targeting Hezbollah interests, as Lebanon continues to be dragged into the US-Israeli war in Iran.
Smoke has been seen billowing from several buildings in the area.
Israel’s military chief said he had ordered troops to expand the area under Israeli control in southern Lebanon, as the country’s ongoing operation against Hezbollah intensified.
“We are striking with force, on the front line and deeper in Lebanon. I instructed Israeli army forces to move forward and deepen the line of control along the border, while establishing positions at key points in southern Lebanon,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during a televised address.
This comes as US President Donald Trump insisted that he have a say in picking Iran’s next supreme leader, as the war triggered by the US-Israeli campaign that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reverberated throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Trump on Thursday rejected the possibility of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, replacing his slain father as supreme leader, dismissing the younger man as a “lightweight”.
“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy,” Trump told Axios in an interview, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez has cooperated with him under threat of violence after the United States ousted her boss, Nicolas Maduro.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump was quoted as saying, threatening more war in the future if a better alternative was not found.
Israel also carried out fresh strikes on Iran throughout Thursday.
