The briefing for Tuesday, March 10.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has been selected as Iran's new supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the opening strikes of the US-Israeli war. The younger Khamenei assumes control as the Islamic Republic confronts what the BBC describes as its greatest test in five decades. Large crowds took to the streets shouting 'Allahu Akbar' to celebrate his selection by the Assembly of Experts, while some protesters in their apartments were heard shouting 'Death to Mojtaba.'

The succession is intensely personal for the new leader, who lost not only his father but also his mother, wife, and a son in the Israeli strike on the supreme leader's compound. Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly suffered injuries himself but has not been seen publicly since the attack. His first missiles were fired with a message scrawled on the side: 'At your service, Seyyed Mojtaba.' The attack has transformed what was a political conflict into a battle for revenge.

Mojtaba Khamenei's rise marks a controversial shift toward hereditary succession in a system founded on opposition to monarchy. The second son of the late ayatollah has worked for decades in his father's shadow and is closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he joined as a teenager. WikiLeaks cables once described him as 'the power behind the robes.' Despite his lack of public profile—he has never given speeches or interviews—he is believed to have influenced key decisions, including the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections. President Trump has declared him 'unacceptable' and warned he 'won't last long,' while Israel has called him 'an unequivocal target.'

A US Tomahawk missile struck an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps base adjacent to a primary school in southern Iran where authorities say 168 people died, including approximately 110 children, according to expert video analysis by BBC Verify. The verified footage, published by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, shows a Tomahawk moments before impact at a military clinic roughly 200 meters from Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in Minab.

Three independent weapons experts confirmed to BBC Verify that the munition in the video has 'all the hallmarks of a US Tomahawk in its terminal phase.' Neither Israel nor Iran possesses Tomahawk missiles, experts noted. The footage also shows large smoke plumes near the school before the Tomahawk strike, suggesting multiple impacts on the site. A senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services said the evidence indicates 'a deliberate and precise' US operation.

The findings directly contradict President Trump's statement from Saturday that Iran was to blame for the strike. 'We think it was done by Iran because they're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. CBS News reports a preliminary US assessment suggests the US was 'likely' responsible but may have hit the school in error. An Israeli government source told CBS that Israel was not behind the attack. The Pentagon confirmed on March 2 that Tomahawks were the first missiles fired at Iran and released a map showing the Minab area was targeted.

President Trump's shifting statements about the Iran war timeline triggered the most volatile day of oil trading in world history on Monday, with prices spiking to $120 per barrel before plummeting below $90 after the president suggested an end could be near. The whiplash came as Trump told reporters Monday morning that the war 'is very complete, pretty much' and the US is 'very far ahead of schedule,' only to reverse course hours later by saying 'we're going to go further.'

The president's telephone spree to reporters appeared designed to calm markets after a tumultuous morning that saw US stock indexes drop and oil surge. When asked if the operation could end soon, Trump said: 'I don't know, it depends. Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else's.' By evening, however, Trump announced the US would intensify strikes if Iran continued threatening oil tankers, warning 'we will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to recover that section of the world.'

The contradictory messaging stands in stark contrast to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday comments outlining an expanded next phase using 'gravity bombs, 500-pound, 1,000-pound, 2,000-pound bombs on military targets' that he said 'we haven't even really begun.' When asked about the contradiction, Trump replied: 'I think you could say both.' Average US gasoline prices have risen to $3.48 per gallon, up 48 cents from a week ago, as economic indicators suggest the economy is already struggling. The G7 finance ministers met in emergency session and considered releasing 300 million barrels from strategic reserves—which would represent more than double the record intervention made after Russia's Ukraine invasion—but decided against immediate action.

President Trump told House Republicans on Monday he will not sign any legislation into law until Congress passes a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill that also ends most mail-in balloting, a demand that threatens to gridlock the government months before midterm elections. 'I'm not going to sign anything until this is approved,' Trump said at the GOP retreat at his Florida golf club, calling it his number one priority. 'If you don't get it, big trouble.'

The president wants to expand the SAVE America Act, already approved by the House, which would require voters to present a passport or birth certificate when registering to vote and show photo ID when casting ballots. Trump's additional demands include banning mail-in ballots except for disabled voters, military members, and other specific situations, despite federal law already requiring voters in national elections to be US citizens with scant evidence of noncitizen voting. The bill could disenfranchise an estimated 20 million American voters who don't have birth certificates readily available, a number that would likely swell with the mail ballot ban.

Trump also wants to attach unrelated provisions banning those born as men from playing in women's sports and blocking some sex reassignment surgeries on minors. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed skepticism about using the 'talking filibuster' to pass the bill as Trump proposes, saying 'we can't find a piece of legislation in history that's been passed that way.' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump's demands would gridlock the chamber, calling the president 'a thug' and 'a bully.' The confrontation comes as Congress faces the immediate need to fund the Department of Homeland Security, with airport workers and others going without paychecks amid fights over the agency's immigration operations.

AI firm Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the US government on Monday after the Pentagon labeled it the first American company designated a 'supply chain risk,' escalating a public dispute over military use of artificial intelligence. The lawsuit names President Trump's executive office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and 16 government agencies, arguing that the government's action was 'unprecedented and unlawful' and violated the company's constitutional rights. A Defense Department spokesman declined to comment, citing active litigation.

The conflict began when Hegseth demanded Anthropic remove all usage restrictions from its defense contract, despite limitations on 'lethal autonomous warfare' and 'surveillance of Americans en masse' having been part of government contracts since the company began working with federal agencies in 2024. Anthropic said it was nearing a successful compromise with defense officials when talks were 'abruptly undercut' by public attacks. President Trump called the company run by 'left wing nut jobs' and directed all agencies to stop using Anthropic tools, followed by Hegseth's 'supply chain risk' designation.

The designation prohibits any company doing government work from using Anthropic's Claude AI tools, which are widely used by major technology firms including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. Anthropic claims it has been 'irreparably' harmed, with 'hundreds of millions of dollars' in contracts at risk. White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said Anthropic is 'a radical left, woke company' attempting to control military activity. By Monday afternoon, nearly 40 Google and OpenAI employees had reportedly signed a letter supporting Anthropic's position, suggesting what the company called a 'chilling effect' on free speech across the technology sector.

Two men have been charged with terror offenses after attempting to bomb a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence in an attack police say was inspired by the Islamic State group. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, allegedly told police they aimed for Saturday's attack to be 'even larger' than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people. None of the explosives detonated as intended during the incident at Gracie Mansion.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said both suspects admitted to being inspired by IS and watching IS propaganda videos. The two had no previous criminal history but face charges including attempting to provide material support to IS and using a weapon of mass destruction. According to court documents, Balat wrote a pledge of allegiance to IS after his arrest and called for 'death of nonbelievers or infidels,' while Kayumi stated he was affiliated with IS and partly inspired by IS propaganda on his phone.

Footage shows one suspect being detained seconds after igniting an explosive that failed to detonate during an anti-Islam protest outside the mayor's home. Police found a third device in their vehicle. Analysis showed the devices were made of triacetone triperoxide, 'a dangerous and highly volatile homemade explosive' used in other terror attacks, according to Tisch. During their Monday court appearance, both wore prison jumpsuits and were ordered detained until their April 8 hearing. Balat's lawyer said his client is a high school senior and US citizen with 'complicated stuff going on' in his personal life. Mayor Mamdani said the men 'should be held fully accountable,' adding that officials 'will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city.'