Wave of massive explosions reported in Doha for second day: media reports
Several loud explosions were heard in Qatar’s capital Doha on Sunday, according to media reports.
Reuters reported that explosions were heard not only in Doha but also in the Dubai area. A video posted by Doha News on Sunday shows thick smoke billowing near Doha’s Barwah after Iran fired a missile at Qatar, which hosts a US military base.
— Anique Bao
President Trump warns Iran of retaliation, vows use of force will be ‘unprecedented’
US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the US would respond with unprecedented force if Iran retaliated against recent US attacks.
“I just said today that Iran will attack us harder than we’ve ever seen before,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding, “But we better not do that, because if we do, we’ll attack Iran with force we’ve never seen before!”
— Li Yingshan
Iran after Khamenei: What happens next and what does it mean for the world?
The death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei begins a formal succession process that could have significant implications for the country’s political stability, prospects for sanctions, and already strained economy.
But analysts warned that removing the supreme leader does not equate to change.
Following his death, the Council on Foreign Relations pointed out that “removing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not the same as regime change.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the regime,” and pointed out that the prospects for political and economic change are limited for the time being.
Marko Papik, chief strategist at Clocktower Group, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Iran’s economy will soon become a parking lot unless the next supreme leader is more willing to negotiate with the United States.”
Read the full text here.
— Li Yingshan
Gulf airports and hotels damaged in Iran’s retaliation for US and Israeli attacks
Iran’s retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf, with airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi damaged overnight.
Four staff members were injured in an “incident” at Dubai International Airport (DXB), according to a social media post by the emirate’s media office.
Officials said most airport terminals had been cleared of passengers, adding that further updates would be provided as they become available.
Abu Dhabi authorities also reported intercepting a drone targeting Zayed International Airport, killing one Asian national and injuring seven others.
Iran responded to U.S. and Israeli attacks by targeting Israel and several Gulf states that are home to U.S. assets, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
An intercepted Iranian drone reportedly caused a light fire on the outer wall of Burj Al Arab.
A fire also broke out at one of the berths at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, caused by debris from an aerial interception, local media reported, citing Dubai authorities.
— Anique Bao
Iran suffers near-total internet blackout as conflict escalates
According to independent internet monitoring group Netblocks, the internet was almost completely shut down in Iran starting around 2 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
The organization, which uses network measurements and web traffic analysis to detect government-imposed outages, reported that nationwide connectivity had fallen to just 4% of normal levels.
NetBlocks posted on X that the disruption coincided with US and Israeli military operations and was similar to restrictions imposed during last year’s conflict with Israel.
—Li Yingshan
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander killed in US, Israeli attack: report
A commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack on Tehran on Saturday, the country’s state news agency reported. Ali Shamkhani, a representative of the Supreme Leader of the Supreme Council of Defense, was also killed.
Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, US President Donald Trump said: “We are hearing that many in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, military and other security and police forces no longer want to fight and are seeking immunity from us.”
— Vinay Dwivedi
