- Trump urges asylum for Iranian footballers -

US President Donald Trump urged Australia to grant asylum to the Iranian women's football team, which refused to sing their national anthem at an Asian Cup match last week in a show of defiance of the Islamic republic.

"Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman's Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

"Don't do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The US will take them if you won't," he added, referring to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

- Iran taking world 'hostage': Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of taking the world "hostage" through its retaliatory strikes, and insisted the United States was on track with its war objectives.

"I think we are all seeing right now the threat this clerical regime poses to the region and to the world. They are trying to hold the world hostage," Rubio said.

- Hezbollah hails new ayatollah -

Hezbollah pledged allegiance to Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after he was named to succeed his late father, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the opening day of US-Israeli attacks.

"We in Hezbollah extend our warmest congratulations and blessings on this occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance," said the Iran-backed group, which entered the war a week ago by attacking Israel.

- Lebanon wants Israel talks -

Lebanon's president said the country wants "direct negotiations" with Israel to end attacks on its territory.

Earlier, a new air strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs, with AFPTV footage showing large plumes of smoke rising from the area, after Israel warned it would target branches of a firm linked to Hezbollah.

- Stocks extend losses -

US stocks followed European and Asian markets lower, as the war drives a surge in oil and gas prices that has dampened the global economic outlook.

All three major US indices were down at least one percent in opening trade. European stocks also slid. Japan's Nikkei index closed down more than five percent and South Korea's Kospi by nearly six percent.

- G7 talks oil reserves -

French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 would discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as the Middle East war caused crude prices to steam past $100 a barrel.

But French Finance Minister Roland Lescure later said the group of seven top economies was "not there yet" on releasing their reserves.

- EU eyes Hormuz mission -

EU chiefs said the bloc was ready to "enhance" its maritime operations in the Middle East to protect shipping routes after holding talks with regional leaders.

Macron said on a visit to Cyprus that France and its allies were working to put together a "purely defensive" mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for world fuel supplies.

He said the mission would be aimed at escorting vessels "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".

- Zelensky says tapped for help -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 11 countries had tapped Kyiv for help on how to counter Iranian drones, being launched by Tehran across the Middle East.

Ukraine touts itself as having world-class drone defence capabilities, built up through fending off nightly barrages of Iran-style attack drones launched by Russia.

- NATO blocks missile in Turkey -

NATO confirmed it intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace, in the second such incident in five days.

Some fragments from the weaponry fell in open territory in the southern Gaziantep area but did not cause injuries, the Turkish defence ministry said.

- Strike hits Iraq base -

An airstrike hit a base belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition in northern Iraq, according to officials from the former paramilitary alliance, which includes pro-Iran factions.

One of the officials blamed the strike on the United States, saying it hit a base in the Bartella area near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province. No casualties were reported.

- Rally for new ayatollah -

Thousands flocked to a central square in Tehran in a show of support for Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed as Iran's supreme leader following the death of his father in US-Israeli strikes, AFP journalists saw.

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