Overview
- Washington Post reporting says Mohammed bin Salman made multiple private calls to President Trump over the past month pressing for a U.S. strike on Iran, with his brother Khalid bin Salman delivering similar messages in Washington.
- Iranian state media confirmed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the U.S.–Israeli operation, which Trump announced as under way before the confirmation.
- Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks that hit targets across Gulf states including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, prompting emergency alerts and regional condemnations.
- UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a rare call to discuss the Iranian attacks, with Riyadh offering full support and both leaders urging restraint, according to official readouts.
- Earlier reporting detailed a November call in which Trump told MBZ that MBS sought U.S. sanctions on the UAE over support for Sudan’s RSF, a claim Saudi officials dispute as they say they sought RSF‑focused measures; the U.S. has since sanctioned RSF commanders but not the UAE.