News about Ali Khamenei

As conflict rises to frightening levels across the globe, the threat of all-out nuclear war has become even more prominent. China 's hostility towards Taiwan , Iran's nuclear ambitions, a raging North Korea , and Russia's invasion of Ukraine all come together to suggest the world has never been closer to Armageddon than right now. Since the end of WWII , nuclear-armed states have engaged in a policy of deterrence, which is based on the idea that if warring states were to launch major nuclear strikes it would lead to mutually assured destruction. But this has not stopped countries embroiled in conflict from launching threats and displaying shows of strength regarding their nuclear capabilities. The MailOnline has taken a look into the four nuclear flashpoints across the planet and how they are forcing us to the brink of WWIII and Armageddon.

Mystery surrounds the fate of a top Iranian military chief amid rumours he may have suffered a heart attack while being interrogated over claims he was an Israeli spy. According to unconfirmed reports, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, 67, was rushed to hospital after being grilled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.His current condition is not known, Sky News Arabia has reported. Qaani is rumoured to be suspected of involvement in a critical intel breach that allowed Israel to infiltrate Hezbollah. The military chief has reportedly absent since he travelled to Beirut two days after the enormous Israeli airstrike late last month that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other top commanders.

Israeli officials are pushing for damaging strikes on nuclear facilities or oil infrastructure after Tehran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month. But Iran has now warned that it will respond with 'devastating hits' (right, Iranian missile launch in January) on Israel's civilian infrastructure and against any Arab states that helped facilitate the attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported. Iran (left, Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei last week) has reportedly threatened several countries hosting American troops, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Arab officials say these states told the Biden Administration that they do not want the US or Israel to use their military infrastructure or airspace in offensive operations against Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered his first sermon in nearly five years to thousands of worshippers at the Mosalla mosque in central Tehran. It comes three days before the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, triggered by the Iran-backed Palestinian group's October 7 attack.

Israel's army has killed some 60 Hezbollah fighters in the past 24 hours of its ground invasion of Lebanon, while its air force has hit more than 200 targets as bitter fighting continues. At the same time, Hezbollah said it had fired rockets on Tiberia, a city in northern Israel, and claimed it had fought off an advance by the Israeli army at a border point in southern Lebanon. The Iran-backed group said it had repelled Israeli troops with artillery fire during a confrontation at Fatima's Gate this morning - a day after Israel said eight of its soldiers had been killed in clashes. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced this morning that strikes in Gaza killed three leading members of Hamas, including the head of the group's government in the Strip.

The family of an Israeli solder who was killed during the fighting in Lebanon earlier today have released the heartbreaking final video he shared with them. Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster was killed along with five others when Hezbollah militants sprang a surprise assault on them near the village of Adaisseh. In the video the smiling 22-year-old assures his family he and his soldiers are well-prepared for the mission at hand against Hezbollah. He adds that he views this as a 'historic opportunity' that he is proud to take on so that his 'little nieces and nephews' aren't forced to deal with the same burden when they grow up. He takes the opportunity to apologize to anyone in his family who he might have harmed over the past year and wishes them a happy new year.

Eight Israeli soldiers were killed today amid intense clashes in southern Lebanon after commando units were ambushed by Hezbollah fighters earlier today, the IDF revealed. In a video from an air force base in central Israel, the Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said: 'We will respond. We can locate important targets and we can hit them precisely and powerfully. We have the capability to reach and strike every location in the Middle East and those of our enemies who have not yet understood this, will understand this soon.' The announcement came one day after Iran's missile attack on Israel.

Terrifying footage taken from the cockpit of a plane flying over the Middle East shows the moment a barrage of Iranian missiles soared across the night sky on Tuesday evening, as Tehran fired projectiles aimed at Israel.  According to the New York Post, the video, which shows missiles launching from Shiraz, Iran, was captured by the pilot of a flight bound for Dubai.  While none of the missiles came into contact with the aircraft, it is clear just how close they were from the plane, suggesting that Iran did not ensure that the airways had been cleared before launching its attack on Israel

Flight data has revealed how aeroplanes flying over the Middle East scrambled to clear the air above the region in the minutes after Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel.  In a major escalation by Iran, 181 missiles began raining down on Israel on Tuesday night, with some rockets dramatically exploding into bright orange flames near Tel Aviv as air raid sirens sounded. It prompted celebrations in Tehran, where Israeli flags were paraded through the streets and set alight by thousands of revellers.

Israeli officials this afternoon confirmed at least one special forces soldier was killed in a firefight with Hezbollah militants who sprang a surprise assault on the IDF unit as it approached a tunnel entrance near the village of Adaisseh. At least one soldier was officially confirmed dead, while sources told The Times their unit sustained several casualties. The fallen soldier was named as Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, a member of the Egoz commando unit. News of the losses came as Israel's military released video footage showing its special forces carrying out the invasion for the first time. Heavily armed soldiers were seen stalking across the border under cover of darkness before later advancing into a Lebanese village - an urban combat environment that would undoubtedly provide ample opportunity for Hezbollah to employ devastating guerrilla tactics. Earlier today, Hezbollah's media officer Mohammad Afif claimed his fighters inflicted losses on Israeli units in the villages of Adaisseh and Maroun al-Ras, and said more than 100 rockets were launched at troop gatherings across the border.

Hezbollah said this morning that its forces had confronted Israeli soldiers who were infiltrating the southern village of Adaisseh and forced them to retreat, claims Israel has not commented on. The Iran-backed group also said that its fighters had targeted 'a large infantry force' in Misgav Am across the border with 'rockets and artillery', as well as troop gatherings in three other locations, one with Burkan short-range ballistic missiles. Some 100 rockets have been launched from Lebanon into northern Israel this morning, according to Israel's Defence Forces (IDF), as the shaken country continues to brace for attacks after last night's barrage of missiles sent by Tehran. Pictured left: Artillery is fired by the Israeli army into Lebanon. Right: Buildings destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on Beirut.

Yesterday's attack, unprecedented in scope and scale, came without warning, with terrifying footage showing missiles streaking through the night sky and descending on targets across Israel. Though some found their targets, many of the projectiles were intercepted by the Jewish state's vaunted air defence systems, supported by US and UK air and naval assets, with no Israeli casualties reported. Israeli officials this morning promised harsh consequences for the onslaught. But the military failure of the missile barrage and Israel's promise of retribution did not deter jubilant crowds from overrunning the streets of Tehran. Images from the Iranian capital showed thousands touting likenesses of Khamenei as they celebrated the rocket launches while several Israeli flags were trampled underfoot before being set alight. Similar celebrations unfolded in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, with Iranian proxies Hezbollah and Hamas commending the Islamic Republic for the daring assault.

Iran raised the specter of all-out war with Israel as it braced for a response to launching a barrage of almost 200 missiles last night.  The hostile state's military chief said its attack on Israel on Tuesday was limited to only military bases, but warned that it 'had the capability to attack the regime's economic infrastructure.'  'If the Zionist regime is not controlled and takes action against Iran, we will target all of its infrastructure,' said Iranian Major General Mohammad Bagheri, saying the strikes against Israel were a response to a series of assassinations in the region. 

Israel's defence system stood firm on Tuesday night as Iran unleashed a barrage of nearly 200 Iranian missiles across the country, sparking fears from world leaders that the escalation could plunge the Middle East into an all-out war. Iran launched wave after wave of warheads towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in revenge for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader last week. In the most dramatic development of the Middle Eastern conflict, air raid sirens sounded as 181 missiles began raining down on Israel, with some rockets dramatically exploding into bright orange flames near Tel Aviv. But as Iran unleashed a salvo of missiles, ordered by its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, f alling projectiles burned like comets against the night sky after the rockets were intercepted by Israel's 'Iron Dome' defensive system. The sickening attack, which Israel has vowed to exact revenge for, forced civilians to seek shelter as huge chunks of molten metal crashed to the ground.

The UK government has confirmed that British forces 'played their part' as Iran unleashed a barrage of nearly 200 missiles across the country, sparking fears from world leaders that the escalation could plunge the Middle East into an all-out war. Israel's defence system stood firm on Tuesday night as Iran launched warheads towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in revenge for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader last week. In the most dramatic development of the Middle Eastern conflict, air raid sirens sounded as 181 missiles began raining down on Israel, with some rockets dramatically exploding into bright orange flames near Tel Aviv. But as Iran unleashed a salvo of missiles, ordered by its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, f alling projectiles burned like comets against the night sky after the rockets were intercepted by Israel's 'Iron Dome' defensive system. The US has confirmed that its troops helped down the incoming missiles, and now the UK has revealed British forces also 'played their part'.

Israel has vowed that Iran's missile attack 'will have consequences' as the Middle East teeters on the brink of an all-out war. Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. Air raid sirens sounded as around 180 missiles began raining down on Israel, with some rockets dramatically exploding into bright orange flames near Tel Aviv. As Iran unleashed a sustained wave of attacks, other missiles burst into flames in the air as they appeared to be intercepted by Israel's 'Iron Dome' defence system.

The President's national security team is looking ahead to the dangerous months after the 2024 election - the roughly 90-day period between the election on November 4 and the inauguration of America's next president on January 20, 2025. It is in this 'lame duck' interval - when a presidential successor has been chosen but not yet sworn into office and the incumbent president's power is at its lowest ebb - that the White House is desperately worried about the outbreak of a 'lame duck war.'

Israel has intensified the conflict in the Middle East to new levels today, killing more than 180 people in Lebanon in the latest attacks since military officials declared a 'new phase' of war had begun last week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mossad is thought to have orchestrated one of the most psychologically damaging clandestine attacks in recent memory, injuring thousands of Hezbollah members with exploding pagers and radios. Then on Friday, the IDF delivered a punishing strike that eliminated a top Hezbollah commander along with some 37 other militiamen and civilians, with aerial bombardments continuing over the weekend and into this morning. These developments have led many analysts to caution that violence in the region is now approaching untenable levels, raising the prospect of an all-out war between Israel and its numerous foes. Now, MailOnline examines how Israel may fare in a full-scale conflict with its key adversaries and speaks to experts to determine whether devastating regional war could materialise

Russia is feared to have handed over nuclear bomb secrets to Iran in return for missiles to blast Ukraine as concerns rise in the West that the world may be on the brink of WWIII. The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House. If it is confirmed, such a deal would cause major concern with Tehran advancing its programme of uranium enrichment in a step towards developing a nuclear weapon. British sources indicated that alarm bells were sounded over Iran's trade for nuclear technology - in what is feared to be part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow. Last week the US and UK  declassified crucial intelligence that revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted a shipment of Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The man with a thick black beard and his hair tied into a bun is curious. 'Are you celebrities?' he asks. His English is flawless but the accent is unmistakably Iranian. His clothes are dark, but he's wearing rolled-up tracksuit bottoms with trendy trainers. The look is Tehran theocrat meets London hipster. He has seen Kasra Aarabi, director of the campaign group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), and me posing for photographs outside the gates of the Islamic Centre of England.

Israel has been braced for an Iranian assault on five fronts 'at any moment' in revenge following the assassination Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tehran a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Tehran is shaken after it emerged the terror chief was killed by a bomb smuggled into the regime's official guest house in the capital months ago. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei has instructed the Islamic republic's Supreme National Security Council to launch a direct attack on Israel.

Israel is braced for an Iranian assault on five fronts 'at any moment' in revenge for the assassination of a Hamas boss on its soil. Tehran is shaken after it emerged the terror chief was killed by a bomb smuggled into the regime's official guest house in the capital months ago. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei has instructed the Islamic republic's Supreme National Security Council to launch a direct attack on Israel

The Hamas political leader, 62, was seen flashing the peace sign and smiling as he mixed with Iranian dignitaries yesterday at the swearing-in ceremony. He then shared a meeting with Pezeshkian - his first and only official talks with the new president before being killed - as well as Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has since vowed to avenge Haniyeh. Video footage captured the moment Haniyeh spoke with Pezeshkian as the pair shared an embrace before the cameras in a firm signal of the enduring ties between the Islamic Republic and the Palestinian group. Following his meetings, Haniyeh was accompanied by guards to his accommodation - an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) residence in the capital - where he was reportedly staying alongside Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziyad Nakhalah, Hamas sources told Saudi outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Sitting in an IRGC safehouse surrounded by guards in the Iranian capital, Haniyeh likely felt completely secure with no inkling of his fate.

Iran is heading for a rare runoff election pitting a little-known 'reformist' against a hardline former nuclear negotiator following the lowest-ever poll turnout in the Islamic Republic's history. Masoud Pezeshkian, the ostensibly 'moderate' option, bested the ultra-conservative candidate Saeed Jalili but fell short of the 50 per cent needed to secure majority. Iran's interior ministry has confirmed the second round of voting will take place on July 5. Pezeshkian, 69, received 10.4 million votes while Jalili, 58, received 9.4 million of 24.5 million cast in Friday's election, though 61.5 million Iranians were eligible to vote on Friday. Low voter turnout is seen to reflect deepening public frustration following years of economic strife and political repression.