Iranian hardline clerics seek swift naming of new supreme leader

DUBAI, March 7 (Reuters) - Hardline clerics have called for the swift selection of a new supreme leader to help guide Iran, Iranian media reported ‌on Saturday, as the Islamic Republic reels under a new wave of ‌U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The calls suggest some in the clerical establishment may be uncomfortable leaving power in ​the hands of the three-man council put in charge temporarily after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had the final say in all matters of state.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. should have a role in choosing the ‌new leader, a demand Iran ⁠has rejected.

Iranian media late on Saturday cited Ayatollah Hossein Mozafari, one of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, the clerical body charged ⁠with choosing the next leader, as saying the assembly could meet in the next 24 hours to make a decision.

It was not clear if that would involve an in-person gathering. ​Sources ​said some clerics had previously held consultations online.

Mozafari's ​statement followed earlier comments from ‌hardline clerics demanding a quick decision.

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Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, whose title means he commands a broad following for his religious rulings, said an appointment was needed swiftly to "help better organise the country's affairs", state media reported.

Last week, two senior Shi'ite religious authorities also issued fatwas, or religious decrees, calling on Muslims around the world to ‌avenge the killing of Khamenei. Makarem Shirazi said ​it was a religious duty for Muslims "until the ​evil of these criminals is eradicated ​from the world".

Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani also urged members ‌of the Assembly of Experts to accelerate ​the process of picking ​Khamenei's successor, state media reported.

Following rules laid out in Iran's constitution, a three-man council comprising the president, a senior cleric and the head of the ​judiciary has taken on ‌the supreme leader's role until the assembly decides.

The constitution states a supreme ​leader should be chosen within three months.

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by ​Edmund Blair, Tomasz Janowski and Jan Harvey)

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Iranian hardline clerics seek swift naming of new supreme leader

DUBAI, March 7 (Reuters) - Hardline clerics have called for the swift selection of a new supreme leader to help guide Ira...

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Everything we know on the eighth day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

It's been a week since the United States and Israel launched theirwar with Iran,sparking a wider conflict across the Middle East that the United Nations warns could spiral out of control.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a remarkable televised addressapologizing to neighboring Gulf nationsand promising not to strike them – unless their territories are used to attack Iran.Fresh blastswere heard in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates hours later.

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Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened toescalate the conflict, saying the US will strike Iran "very hard."

Here's what you need to know.

What are the main headlines?

• Trump signals escalation: Trump wrote "today Iran will be hit very hard" in a Saturday morning post on Truth Social. He also indicated that Washington would widen its targets in the country, saying certain areas and groups of people are now at risk of "complete destruction and certain death." In response to the warning, a senior Iranian official told CNN that Iran is looking for new US assets to strike.

• Iranian president's address: Pezeshkian gave a defiant speech on state media earlier Saturday, saying Iran would never surrender, as its military continued to trade strikes with Israel, and aim fire at a number of Gulf nations.

• Firm response: Iran has also pledged a "decisive" response to any aggression from US bases in the region, after President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Arab Gulf nations and said Tehran would stop its attacks on neighboring states unless strikes against Iran originated from those countries' territories.

• 'Unconditional surrender': Pezeshkian's defiance came less than a day after Trump said there would be no deal with Iran except "unconditional surrender," but didn't lay out any specific demands. Trump also told CNN he's not concerned whether Iran becomes a democratic state, as long as the new leader treats the US and Israel well – contrasting with his previous calls for the Iranian public to "take over your government" and gain their "freedom."

• Fresh strikes: Israel and Iran have launched fresh strikes. Israel on Saturday deployed 80 jets to launch a "broad-scale wave of strikes" it said targeted military infrastructure in Iran. It comes after a heavy night of bombardment on Iran, with a Tehran resident describing recent attacks as "really intense."

• Fallen soldiers to return home: A dignified transfer for the six US service members killed so far in the conflict will take place at the Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware. Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend. Speaking from Florida beforehand, Trump said he intends to keep US deaths in the Iran war "to a minimum."

What's happening in Iran and Lebanon?

• Onslaught on Iran: Explosions were reported in the eastern and western parts of the capital with dramatic footage showing Tehran's Mehrabad airport on fire. Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency has accused Israel of striking the airport. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. The US has struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran in the past week, according to US Central Command.

• Growing toll: So far the US-Israel attacks have killed more than 1,230 people in Iran, including children, according to Iranian state media.

• Calls for new leader: Several prominent clerics in Iran have urged the swift election of a new Supreme Leader, one week after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

• Chaos and fear: Iranian residents have described living in constant terror, with streets deserted as people hide at home or flee their villages. The fear is amplified by an internet blackout – leaving many with no access to news or warning systems before the bombs come.

• Strikes on Lebanon: Nearly 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began strikes Monday, the Lebanese health ministry said. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that Lebanon will "pay the price" for failing to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. Residents of the Lebanese village of Nabi Chit endured a "night of hell," one told Reuters, after Israeli commandos raided the border area hunting for the remains of a long-missing airman. Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders for much of southern Lebanon and densely populated neighborhoods of Beirut.

• Mass displacement: Israel's far-reaching evacuation orders and strikes in Lebanon have displaced nearly half a million residents, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated. Official figures suggest around 100,000 are in government shelters, but this is likely a fraction of the real figure.

What's happening in the rest of region?

• Gulf states under attack: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE saw fresh drone and missile attacks overnight on Friday into Saturday morning. Witnesses reported hearing a series of loud explosions in Bahrain late Saturday local time; it was not immediately clear whether they were caused by impacts or interceptions. Blasts were also heard in Abu Dhabi and Qatar late Saturday. Earlier, Dubai's international airport came under drone attack several times. Saudi Arabia's Defense ministry said 16 drones heading toward one of the largest oil fields in the Middle East, Shaybah, had been intercepted in the early hours of Saturday.

• Israel under fire: Iran and Lebanon are firing back at Israel with drones and missiles, with fragments falling in various parts of the country on Saturday. Israel repeatedly raised its air defenses and issued alerts to the public instructing residents to shelter in a safe place. And on Friday, eight Israeli soldiers were wounded by Hezbollah fire, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

• Dubai flights resume: Flights to and from Dubai resumed Saturday after a brief suspension, with Dubai Airports saying this was "for the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew." Emirates said it would resume operations. Airports in the UAE are key nodes for connecting flights all over the world.

• Foreign investments reviewed: Some of Trump's oil-rich Gulf Arab allies are reviewing overseas investments as the war in Iran strains their economies, a Gulf official said, just months after the president secured trillions in investment pledges from the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar collectively pledged to invest around $3 trillion in the US economy when Trump visited the region on his first foreign trip abroad last year. Any changes could put pressure on him to end the war.

• Kurdistan hotel: Hours after the US Embassy in Baghdad warned Americans to leave Iraq, saying that hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan could be targeted by pro-Iranian militias, a drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil. A pro-Iranian Islamist militant group claimed responsibility, warning American troops and contractors that it would continue to target hotels across the country.

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Everything we know on the eighth day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

It's been a week since the United States and Israel launched theirwar with Iran,sparking a wider conflict across the ...

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Jayson Tatum scores 15 points in return from Achilles surgery, Celtics beat Mavericks 120-100

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-100 on Friday night in Jayson Tatum'sfirst game in almost 10 monthsafterrupturing his right Achilles tendon.

Mavericks Celtics Basketball

Tatum had15 pointson 6-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a rust-filled 27 minutes. He played in five- and six-minute spurts in his first game since suffering the injury in during Game 4 of Boston's Eastern Conference semifinal loss to New York in May.

Derrick White added 20 points to help Boston win for the fourth time in five games. Dallas has lost six straight.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, a Maine native playing his first game in TD Garden, had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Dallas. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points, and Naji Marshall had13 points.

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Tatum missed his first six shots, including three 3-pointers. But he continued to look for his teammates and actively screening to initiate the offense.

The Celtics have 19 games remaining in the regular season, including 11 at TD Garden to try to ramp up Tatum for the playoffs.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Jayson Tatum scores 15 points in return from Achilles surgery, Celtics beat Mavericks 120-100

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Maveric...

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In reversal, Florida Bar says it is not investigating Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan

The Florida Bar said Friday it is not investigating former Justice Department attorneyLindsey Halligan, walking back an earlier statement saying aprobe was underway.

In early February, a Florida Bar official responded to a request for a probe into the Trump loyalist over her time in the administration by writing, "We already have an investigation pending."

A day after NBC News and other outlets reported on the letter Thursday, the Florida Bar said that while there is a "monitoring file," there is no investigation into Halligan.

"In response to an inquiry from a complainant, The Florida Bar wrote a letter to the complainant erroneously stating that there is a pending Bar investigation of member Lindsey Halligan," a Florida Bar spokeswoman said in a statement Friday. "There is no such pending Bar investigation of Lindsay Halligan."

The bar said it received a complaint against Halligan and then followed what it called standard practice by "monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings underlying the complaint."

The complaint to the Florida Bar came from the Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog group. The group said that by falsely claiming to be a U.S. attorney, Halligan committed a variety of ethical violations.

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Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience before leadingunsuccessful casesagainst former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James,left her roleas interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in January after a judge said shewas "masquerading" as the district's top federal prosecutor.

The Campaign for Accountabilityfiled complaintswith both the Florida and the Virginia bars in November, and itfollowed upwith the Florida Bar last month.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously served as Florida's attorney general, criticized the earlier news reports of an investigation.

"The Florida Bar 'investigation' of Lindsey Halligan is totally fake news," she said Fridayin a post on X. "Lindsey not only did nothing wrong — she did a great job!"

Asked for comment on the Florida Bar's reversal, Halligan responded to NBC News Friday by writing, "Where's my apology?"

She also sent a screenshot of aTrump post on Truth Socialwhere he reposted Bondi's defense of Halligan.

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In reversal, Florida Bar says it is not investigating Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan

The Florida Bar said Friday it is not investigating former Justice Department attorneyLindsey Halligan, walking back an e...

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NTSB report cites deicing delay in deadly Maine jet crash

The deadlyJan. 25 crashof aprivate jetin Bangor, Maine, happened after the luxury craft failed to depart within recommended time frames after deicing for the given weather conditions, according to a preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Allsix people on board diedin the fiery crash, which occurred as the Bombardier CL-650 took off from the Bangor International Airport's single runway enroute to France during a fierce winter storm.

FAA recommendations for the given conditions called for departure no more than 9 minutes after deicing, but the jet did not leave for nearly 17 minutes, the report said.

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured the winter storm's aftermath from the sky.

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Mesmerizing drone photos taken after winter storm show power of nature

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured thewinter storm's aftermathfrom the sky.

The jet, operated by a Houston law firm, had departed Texas with a stop in Bangor, about 130 miles northeast of Portland, for fuel and deicing services, authorities said.

According to AccuWeather, visibility at the time of the crash was about three-fourths of a mile with a low ceiling of 1,100 feet.

According to the NTSB, light snow had been reported but should have been categorized as moderate given the nighttime visibility and temperatures of about 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Those conditions specified a maximum holdover period of nine minutes from the start of the anti-ice application.

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However, the report said the plane did not depart until nearly 16 minutes after the deicing process had begun at nearly 7:28 p.m. and 13 minutes after application of anti-ice fluid concluded.

The report said the plane sat on the deice pad for nearly five minutes before it left. By then, eight minutes had passed since the deicing application had begun, it said.

A review of the plane's cockpit voice recorder indicated the flight crew discussed holdover times while taxiing to the runway, with the pilot saying it was "standard" to have 14 to 18 minutes but that if the wait was more than 30 minutes, the plane would return to the ramp to deice again. Those time frames would have been consistent with the FAA's recommendations for light snow.

The plane took off at 7:44 p.m. and ultimately came to rest upside-down before catching on fire. Federal investigators were initially unable to reach the site with the region under heavy snow and ice from a winter storm sweeping the region.

A preliminary review of flight data recorder data revealed no evidence of a flight control malfunction or failure, the NTSB said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deicing delay cited in deadly Maine jet crash

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NTSB report cites deicing delay in deadly Maine jet crash

The deadlyJan. 25 crashof aprivate jetin Bangor, Maine, happened after the luxury craft failed to depart within recommend...

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