U.S. | DD News

March 9, 2026 11:34 AM

Iran defies Trump, elevates Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as successor

Iran's clerical leadership chose confrontation over compromise in appointing Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, a move regional officials say is a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump, who had declared the son "unacceptable". Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike at the start of the conflict, now in its second week. The appointment of Mojtaba as his successor by the Assembly of Experts locks hardliners firmly in control in Tehran -...

March 9, 2026 3:13 PM

Oil prices surge to highest since 2022 at over $119 a barrel on Middle East war

Oil prices surged over $119 a barrel, hitting levels not seen since mid-2022, on Monday as some major producers cut supplies and fears of prolonged shipping disruptions gripped the market due to the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $13.02, or 14%, at $105.71 per barrel at 2:47 PM, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures were up $12.16, or 13%, at $103.06. In a whiplash session, Brent had earlier hit a high of $119.50 a barrel, indi...

March 9, 2026 9:13 AM

Iran names Khamenei’s hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader

Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel. Mojtaba, a cleric with influence inside Iran's security forces and vast business networks under his father, had been viewed as a frontrunner in the lead-up to Sunday's vote by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing Ali Khamenei's successor. "By a decis...

March 3, 2026 8:04 PM

UK’s Reeves promises stability against backdrop of Middle East conflict

British finance minister Rachel Reeves said she would provide stability for the economy in a budget update speech on Tuesday that contained no big policy surprises and was overshadowed by alarm among investors over the conflict in the Middle East. Reeves said fresh forecasts showed inflation and borrowing would be lower than previously thought by Britain's fiscal watchdog, although its economic growth projection for this year was cut to 1.1% from a previous estimate of 1.4%. Those forecasts ma...