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Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran will continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest shipping lane, and will “avenge the blood” of Iranians killed in the war with the United States and Israel.

It was the first public statement by Iran’s new Supreme Leader since he succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in his compound in Tehran on the first day of the war. The message was read by a newsreader on Iranian state TV and Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear in person.

He said Iran should use the "lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz" as the channel is an area where "the enemy is highly vulnerable". He also said that Iran would continue targeting US bases in the region

Mojtaba Khamenei lost his wife and a son in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and it has been reported that he was himself "lightly injured" in the attack. He has not been seen in public since being made Supreme Leader and no photographs or videos have been released.

Israel said it had launched a new wave of strikes against the Iranian capital Tehran and has continued its attacks in southern Lebanon where it says it is targeting Hezbollah militants supported by Iran.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Tom Bateman, Dan Johnson, Lucy Williamson and Wyre Davies.

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The new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, gave his first statement pledging to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

This was delivered not by Khamenei himself, but by a newsreader on Iranian state TV speaking over a photo of him, sparking further speculation as to his health and whereabouts.

Alex and James are joined by Jane Corbin, Panorama film maker, and Baran Abbasi, reporter and presenter for BBC Persian, to discuss what to make of the new Supreme Leader’s statement.

Plus, diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, joins Alex and James from Kyiv to analyse what the US-Israeli war with Iran means for the war in Ukraine and how President Zelensky and President Putin have responded.

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00:00 Introduction

00:45 Did Mojtaba Khamenei actually write the statement?

02:25 What did the statement say?

07:00 How is Mojtaba Khamenei responding to the war?

15:58 How do Iranians feel about the war?

20:20 Iranians wait to celebrate Nowruz

22:50 How does the war in Iran affect Ukraine?

26:05 Zelensky's view on the war in Iran

31:02 On the ground in Ukraine

34:50 Putin's view on Iran

38:28 Is Russia involved in the Iran war?

As the US-Israel war with Iran has expanded across the Middle East, US President Donald Trump and his administration have offered several justifications for the conflict.

But what does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu want to achieve with this war? How long will Israel be willing to fight Iran, or Hezbollah in Lebanon? And what impact could the conflict have on the upcoming Israeli elections?

We speak to the BBC's Jon Donnison in Jerusalem.

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Israel said it has launched a new wave of strikes against the Iranian capital Tehran.

It comes hours after a statement attributed to Iran's new supreme leader was read out on state-controlled TV - his first since assuming power and which included a commitment to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

Elsewhere, at least three more cargo ships have been attacked in the Gulf, apparently by Iran. Iranian state media said Iranian forces were behind at least one strike.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have killed several people in Lebanon, including at least eight in Beirut's seafront area.

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Iran will keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel, according to a statement read on state TV attributed to the new supreme leader.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father.

There is speculation he has been injured or even killed - but what we know is limited, says BBC Persian.

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The Israeli military has carried out a wave of air strikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, after the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah launched about 200 rockets into northern Israel.

Loud explosions were heard overnight coming from Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold from which thousands of people have fled because of the intense Israeli attacks over the past week.

Some strikes also hit other parts of Beirut, including the city's Corniche seafront. Lebanon's health ministry said at least eight people were killed.

Hezbollah launched the rocket barrage across the Israeli border on Wednesday evening in an apparently co-ordinated attack with Iran.

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Police are responding to reports of an active shooter at Temple Israel, a synagogue containing a school in West Bloomfield, Michigan, US.

FBI director Kash Patel said there was an "apparent vehicle ramming" - dozens of emergency vehicles are at the scene and aerial video shows smoke rising from the synagogue.

There are no apparent injuries and the suspect remains at large, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

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US President Donald Trump has criticised Britain and its prime minister Keir Starmer over the handling of the Chagos Islands.

He criticised Starmer during a press conference where he spoke about how America’s allies have responded to the US-Israel war in Iran.

The president has said the UK should "not give away Diego Garcia", a key military base for the United States.

The Chagos Islands - officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory - are located in the Indian Ocean about 5,799 miles (9,332km) south-east of the UK, and about 1,250 miles north-east of Mauritius.

Also known as the Chagos Archipelago, there are around 60 individual islands. The islands were separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony.

Asma Khalid speaks to the BBC's Diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, to find out why President Trump is so obsessed with the British territory.

He talks about the history of the islands, the military significance of the territory and what might happen next.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:34 Where are the Chagos Islands and why do they matter?

03:00 Why does the UK own the Chagos Islands?

04:00 When did the United States become involved?

05:10 Why is the UK on track to give up the Chagos Islands?

08:22 When did Trump get involved with the Chagos Islands?

12:24 How has Trump's position evolved?

18:00 How has the US war with Iran changed things?

20:13 Why has Trump fallen out with Keir Starmer?

22:09 What happens next with the Chagos Islands?

Six members of the Iranian women's football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia.

Concerns about the team's safety were first sparked when footage of a state TV host emerged calling them "traitors" after they declined to sing the national anthem at their first AFC Women's Asian Cup match.

Then, a network of Australia-based activists kicked into gear, using their contacts to try and communicate with the players in any way possible.

BBC News’s Australia Correspondent Katy Watson was in the hotel as it unfolded.

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US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s capital Tehran have targeted street checkpoints of the Basij - a volunteer militia that has suppressed protests.

On Wednesday, Iran's oldest bank, Bank Sepah, was struck by an air strike in Tehran, which is said to play a key role paying the salaries of Iran's military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

More than 1,300 people have died and 17,000 have been injured in Iran since the conflict began, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani has said. The UN Refugee Agency said up to 3.2 million Iranians have been temporarily displaced in Iran due to the conflict.

Iran has continued to respond by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, which have extended to non-military targets, including civilian sites and energy facilities.

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