Zelensky warns Russia could send troops to Iran to join fight against US and Israel: Live updates

Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, is ‘safe and sound’ despite reports of being wounded, the son of the Iranian president has claimed.

‘I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei (pictured) had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections.

‘They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,’ said Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, in a post on his Telegram channel.

State television had called Khamenei a ‘wounded veteran of the Ramadan war’ but never specified his injury.

The new leader is the son and successor of longtime ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

A map showing the latest attacks in the Strait of Hormuz reported to the UKMTO. The latest attack is marked with an ‘X’

by Perkin Amalaraj

A cargo ship has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The attack from an ‘unknown projectile’, which was reported at 4.35am GMT, happened 11 nautical miles north of Oman and resulted in a fire onboard the ship.

The UKMTO, a maritime monitor, said crew are evacuating the vessel.

It added: ‘Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities continue to investigate.’

No group or military has yet claimed responsibility.

It comes after American forces destroyed 16 Iranian minelaying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

A suspected Iranian drone struck a major US diplomatic facility in Baghdad on Tuesday, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The drone struck the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, a large logistical and operational support hub used by US diplomats near Iraqi military bases and Baghdad International Airport.

Six drones were launched toward the facility, with five intercepted and one striking near a guard tower, according to a security official cited by the Post.

No casualties were immediately reported, as individuals were ordered to ‘duck and cover.’

The attack is suspected to have been carried out by militias operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed groups that have increased their attacks since the United States and Israel first struck Iran on February 28.

The incident came after the US Embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens to ‘exercise caution, avoid drawing attention, and stay away from areas that could make them a target.’

The US military has now destroyed 16 Iranian minelaying vessels close to a major sea passage used to export oil.

‘US forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,’ the US Central Command announced on X, with an accompanying video showing some of the strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Here are the latest events in the US-Israel war with Iran as violence continues to explode across the Middle East

• A cargo ship has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz with an ‘unknown projectile’ around 11 nautical miles north of Oman and resulted in a fire onboard the ship, a British maritime security agency reported
• The US military said it had destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump warned of a drastic escalation if Iran moved to mine the pivotal waterway
• A major US logistics and operations center in Baghdad was struck by a drone on Tuesday, as Iraqi militias backed by Iran entered the war
• Israel’s military said it had detected a new round of missiles heading towards the country from Iran which Tehran claimed was the ‘heaviest and most intense’ barrage yet
• Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is ‘safe and sound’ despite reported injuries, the son of the Iranian president said

Donald Trump would not be ‘happy’ if Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the Middle East war, the White House said yesterday.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that Moscow had passed sensitive intelligence to Tehran, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.

‘The president and his special envoy (Steve) Witkoff have both said that, of course, they’ve sent a message to Russia that if that was taking place, it’s not something they would be happy with and they hope that it is not taking place,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Witkoff, a businessman who has led US talks with both Russia and Iran in recent months, said Russia should be taken at its word when it denied sharing intelligence with Tehran.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared Russia could become the first country to send troops to Iran to fight against the US and Israel amid reports Moscow is sharing intelligence with Iran.

Vladimir Putin has denied providing information to Iran to help target American forces in the Middle East during a phone call with Donald Trump earlier this week.

It comes after the Washington Post reported the Kremlin has passed Iran the locations of American military assests including warships and aircraft.

President Zelensky has today suggested Russia could send troops to Iran.