'Keep going to the end': US backed Israel for the joint strike against Iran

Israel had a firm backing of the US in its joint operation against Iran. US counterpart Pete Hegseth had strongly backed the joint campaign and urged Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz to continue the operation "to the end.” A statement released by the Israeli minister's office on Thursday after an overnight conversation between Hegseth and Katz said, "The Secretary of Defense said: 'Keep going to the end -- we are with you.'"

Katz also took to X to warn Iran that its next supreme leader “will be a target for elimination” if he continues to threaten Israel, the US and others.

While Iran on Wednesday (Mar 4) rubbished reports that Mojtaba Khamenei has been named as the nation's Supreme Leader after his father Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination in joint United States-Israel strikes. Issuing a statement via the Consulate General in Mumbai, the Iranian Government on X dismissed media reports on the supposed succession.

Earlier, media reports suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei had been selected to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, now the Iranian government, in an X post made via its Consulate General in Mumbai, rubbished the succession claims. It said that the "reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran's Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied."

WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.