Iran War Day 8-9: Khamenei’s son succeeds, oil spikes to $110

GULF COUNTRIES - In Brief 08 Mar 2026 by Justin Alexander

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Highlights: Mojtaba Khamenei has succeeded his father, signaling hardline continuity and no appetite for a negotiated exit from the war. President Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf neighbors and pledged to halt cross-border strikes, but they continued and struck more civilian targets, exposing internal command divisions. Brent crude surged to $110 in Monday trading in Asia. Israel struck oil infrastructure for the first time, targeting Tehran fuel depots, a move reported to have frustrated Washington. The State Department ordered the mandatory departure of all US diplomatic personnel from Saudi Arabia, and another US soldier died of wounds. US/Israel The State Department issued a mandatory departure order for all US diplomatic personnel in Saudi Arabia on 8 Mar — the first such order since the war began on 28 Feb — citing growing security concerns after repeated strikes on or near the US Embassy in Riyadh. Americans in multiple Saudi cities were simultaneously ordered to shelter in place. (NYT)Another US soldier was killed. He was wounded in a 1 Mar attack in Saudi Arabia and died of injuries on 7 Mar (NYT).Trump said the US has "knocked out 42 Iranian navy ships" and much of Iran's air force and communications, adding: "We are doing very well in Iran" (ToI).Growing evidence indicates that the US struck the Minab girls' school on 28 Feb, which was next to an IRGC naval base, killing over 160 people, but Trump blamed Iran (CNN, BB)Trump said ground troops could be used “for a very good reason,” such as securing uranium stockpiles. (AFP)A US National Intelligence Council assessment before the war concluded that large-scale US strikes are unlikely to topple the Iranian govern...