An Iranian man holds a picture of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the Iran's then-supreme leader./SCREENGRABMojtaba Khamenei, the second-eldest son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is alive, in good health and actively following developments in the country, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency. The 56-year-old cleric has never publicly addressed the question of succession, a topic considered highly sensitive in Iran. “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,” Trump said in a social media post. In Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly criticised the military actions carried out by the United States and Israel, saying they were conducted outside international law. As diplomatic tensions deepen and military rhetoric intensifies, the developments signal a rapidly evolving crisis that continues to draw in major world powers

Source: The Star March 05, 2026 11:51 UTC