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"We are going to take a little trip to a place called Iran. We have to stop them from thinking about nuclear power and we're not going to allow them to have a nuclear weapon." President Donald Trump said this, speaking at the White House at the Congressional Picnic. "We've done an outstanding job and I think we'll get it done very quickly and they won't have a nuclear weapon - I hope we'll do it very nicely."

Two Chinese supertankers, loaded with four million barrels of crude oil, have left the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded in the Gulf for two months. This was reported by Al-Jazeera quoting Reuters. Citing navigation data from Lseg and Kpler, the agency said that the ships - Yuan Gui Yang and Ocean Lily - left the passage today. According to Reuters, the Yuan Gui Yang had loaded 2 million barrels of Iraqi Basra crude oil on 27 February, the day before the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, while the Ocean Lily had loaded 1 million barrels each of Qatari Al-Shaheen and Iraqi Basra crude oil between late February and early March.

The US and Israel entered the conflict against Iran with one particular person in mind as their future interlocutor in Tehran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president known for his intransigent, anti-Israeli and anti-American positions. A few days after Israeli attacks killed Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei and other senior regime officials, President Donald Trump publicly speculated that it would be better if 'someone from inside' Iran took power, the New York Times reported. But the audacious plan, drawn up by the Israelis and on which Ahmadinejad had been consulted, quickly failed, according to American officials with knowledge of it. Ahmadinejad was injured on the first day of the war by an Israeli attack on his Tehran home, which was intended to free him from house arrest, US officials and an Ahmadinejad aide said. He survived the attack, but after the narrow escape he became disillusioned about regime change. To say that Ahmadinejad's choice was unusual would be an understatement. Despite increasingly clashing with regime leaders and being placed under close surveillance by Iranian authorities, during his presidential term, from 2005 to 2013, he was known for his calls to 'wipe Israel off the map'. He was a staunch supporter of Iran's nuclear programme, an outspoken critic of the US and known for his violent suppression of internal dissent. It is not known how Ahmadinejad was recruited to participate in the operation, the Nyt added. The existence of this hitherto unknown operation was part of a multi-stage plan drawn up by Israel to overthrow Iran's theocratic government. This highlights how Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went to war not only underestimating how quickly they could achieve their goals, but also betting, to some extent, on a risky plan for the change of leadership in Iran, which even some Trump aides thought unlikely. Some American officials were sceptical, particularly about the feasibility of bringing Ahmadinejad back to power.

According to the New York Times, Israel and the United States assessed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a possible leader of Iran if a 'regime change' were to take place in the country after the wave of attacks that started on 28 February. The newspaper reported that an Israeli raid on the former Iranian president's home in Tehran was aimed at freeing him from house arrest. Ahmadinejad was reportedly injured in the attack. After the raid, adds the Nyt citing US officials and an aide of the former president, Ahmadinejad reportedly became 'disillusioned' with the plan and has not appeared in public since. Ahmadinejad's choice - according to the New York Times - was 'surprising' as the former Iranian president is known for his intransigent, anti-Israeli and anti-American positions.

"I briefed the UN Security Council today on the situation at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates following Sunday's drone attack." The director-general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, writes this on X. "Although radiation levels remain normal and external power supply has been restored, the situation is of grave concern," Grossi adds, stressing that "attacks against nuclear facilities intended for peaceful purposes are unacceptable and pose clear risks to people and the environment." The IEA director also reiterates his appeal 'to all parties to respect the seven pillars that are indispensable to ensure nuclear safety'. Finally, Grossi reports that he has been "in contact with the leaders of the Gulf region" and announces that the IAEA "will continue to do everything possible, within the framework of its mandate, to contribute to nuclear security and support efforts towards a diplomatic solution".

Chinese President Xi Jinping called a 'complete cessation of hostilities' in the Middle East 'urgent', calling a resumption of the conflict 'unacceptable'. During his meeting in Beijing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Chinese leader called it "particularly important to engage in negotiations", according to China Central Television.