‘River of fire’ engulfs Iran and OIL rains from the sky as US and Israel strike regime’s depots – and Trump says American ground troops are ready to go in: Live updates

The American and Israeli war with Iran today entered its ninth day as violence continues to spread across the Middle East.

If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments:

• A ‘river of fire’ has engulfed Iran after an oil spill ignited Tehran amid ongoing US-Israeli air strikes
• Israel says it will ‘pursue every successor’ of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran appoints its next Supreme Leader
• Three people are injured from shrapnel at a university in Bahrain following a missile attack as Iran continues to attack the Gulf
• Two border guards have died in Kuwait after the country was hit by a series of missiles and drones – as a huge fire enguls Kuwait City Tower
• Donald Trump criticises Sir Keir Starmer again, telling him ‘We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won’
• A seaside hotel in Beirut has been hit by Israeli missiles in strike on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards based in the building
• The US has denied claims from Iran that a number of American soldiers have been taken prisoner
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country has ‘many surprises’ for the next phase of the war

Fire flows through Tehran after oil spill

Iran’s capital erupted into flames as Israel and the US launched a fresh wave of devastating strikes in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The skies over Tehran turned a disquieting red and filled with acrid smoke after several oil and fuel depots were blown up across the Iranian capital.

Huge fireballs could be seen erupting across the city’s skyline, while residents complained of a lingering burning smell in the air, as both the US and Israel doubled down on their pledge to fight until the ‘eradication’ of the Iranian regime.

Read more below:

Britain has just two days worth of natural gas in storage, sparking fears of a shortage crisis as the Middle East conflict threatens supplies.

The UK’s gas reserves have dwindled from 18,000 GWh last year to 6,700 GWh, enough for just 1.5 days of demand, according to new data published by National Gas. There is a similar quantity stored as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Europe is much better prepared to weather fluctuations in supply, with several weeks’ worth of gas stored up.

Traders have been exploiting the UK’s situation by charging it a premium price on gas, knowing it has no choice but to outbid its European competitors.

The UK is now paying the highest wholesale gas price in Europe.

Disruption to the gas market is driven partly by the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of the world’s natural gas and oil flows, and also by the shutdown of production in some places.

Read more below:

Yvette Cooper hit back at Donald Trump today after the US president launched another online salvo at the Prime Minister that left the ‘special relationship’ in tatters.

The Foreign Secretary said ‘diplomacy through social media isn’t our style’ and there was a need for a ‘calm, cool-headed approach’ after Trump warned the US will ‘remember’ the lack of support from ‘our once great ally’.

The US President also suggested the Prime Minister was attempting to join a war after it had already been won in a post on his Truth Social network.

The UK Government has not joined the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began last weekend, with the PM saying last week he does not believe in ‘regime change from the skies’.

But it has accepted a request from the States to use its military bases for the ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’ of destroying Iran’s missiles ‘at source’.

On Sunday, Ms Cooper defended Sir Keir for refusing to join offensive action, saying it was not in the UK’s national interest’ to attack Iran.

Read more below:

Dozens of Israeli tanks have lined up at the border with Lebanon as the IDF carries out operations in the south of the country.

Israeli troops have completed a number of ‘defensive’ operations on the ground in Lebanon, which Israel claims are to better protect Israel’s northern communities.

On Sunday morning Israel issued a massive evacuation notice for southern Lebanon, claiming the actions of Hezbollah have forced the IDF ‘to take strong action against it’.

Israel and Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy terror group which holds significant political authority in Lebanon, have traded blows since last week.

Around 300 people have been killed by Israeli military action since Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

And dozens of people were killed on Saturday as part of a major Israeli air and ground operations.

Iran has selected a new Supreme Leader, although a name has not yet been announced.

‘The most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined,’ Mohsen Heydari, a member of the 88-person deciding body, said.

Another member, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, confirmed ‘a firm opinion reflecting the majority view has been reached’.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran last Saturday and his second son Mojtaba has been tipped as his successor.

But Donald Trump claimed this week he would have the final say on the country’s next leader, while the IDF said it would hunt anyone appointed as successor.

Israel has warned it will ‘pursue every successor’ of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The late Supreme Leader was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran last Saturday.

Iran has reached a ‘majority consensus’ on who will succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the country’s next Supreme Leader.

Khamenei’s second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has widely been expected to be appointed after gaining the support of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.

In a post on X in Farsi, the IDF said it would hunt anyone appointed as successor.

The IDF said: ‘We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either’.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has claimed Sir Keir Starmer is acting in the ‘UK national interest’ in his response to the conflict in Iran.

The Prime Minister has been lambasted by Donald Trump and his allies for his failure to give the US permission to use British army bases to launch attacks since the beginning of the war.

Mr Trump last night targeted Sir Keir, insisting ‘we don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!’

Speaking on Sunday morning, the Foreign Secretary said the PM’s job is to ‘take decisions in the UK’s national interest…not in interest of any other country’, adding Sir Keir has done that ‘every step of the way’.

She said the UK and Trump don’t agree on every issue and the UK will continue to focus on its own interests

Qatar Airways has said it will operate a number of repatriation flights from Doha to Europe including to London.

It says scheduled flights remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace but a number of repatriation flights from Doha to Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London and Zurich will take place.

The airline said: ‘These flights are only for passengers whose final destination is Doha.

‘These flights do not constitute a confirmation of resumption of scheduled commercial operations.’

Donald Trump is weighing a daring mission to snatch Iran‘s enriched uranium stockpiles amid fears about what could happen if rogue actors get to it first.

The US President has considered deploying US soldiers on the ground in Iran in recent days, although he said on Saturday that he would need a ‘very good reason’ to make the escalatory move.

Insiders warn that troops may be needed to seize control of Iran’s remaining enriched uranium – the main ingredient in building a nuclear weapon – amid fears it could fall into the hands of terrorists or another nation such as North Korea, Pakistan or another Gulf state.

Military sources say Trump may wish to avoid a full-scale invasion and would rather send a small contingent of special forces to carry out a quick strategic operation.

Read more below: