Donald Trump has weighed in on the wellbeing of new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid growing questions about his health and whereabouts.

Khamenei has not been seen since he was elevated to the top role following his father's assassination, but issued a statement overnight.

Speaking to Fox Radio following that statement, the US president was asked if he thought Khamenei was actually alive.

READ MORE: Conservative commentators lash Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran

"I think he probably is," Trump said.

"I think he is damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form, you know."

The supreme leader's statement was read out on Iranian state television by a news anchor.

"We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs," the statement addressed to the Iranian people read.

"The popular demand is to continue our effective defence and make the enemy regret! The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used."

Israeli intelligence has said they believe Khamenei was injured in the bomb strike that killed his father, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

This was backed up by comments made by Iran's ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian.

"I have heard that he was injured in his legs and hand and arm," Salarian said.

"I think he is in the hospital because he is injured."

The strike also killed the new supreme leader's wife, sister, brother-in-law, infant niece and son.

READ MORE: Trump's past comments on Iran come back to haunt him

It was widely reported his mother was also killed, but Iranian state media denied the claims overnight.

There is good reason why the Iranian regime would seek to keep Khamenei's whereabouts and wellbeing under wraps.

The US and Israeli governments have indicated they will continue their military strikes, including another decapitation strike against Iran's leaders.

And if he is in a serious condition, the regime would still want to project strength from their leader.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani made it clear Khamenei's condition "has not been reported as critical".

READ MORE: Son of ousted king positions himself to take over in Iran

"Despite this incident, he continues to provide full authoritative guidance and oversight of the operations, and all actions and attacks are carried out with his direct permission and orders," Larijani said.

Former crown prince and leading opposition figure Reza Pahlavi's response to the ayatollah's statement came with some doubt.

"Whether it was Mojtaba Khamenei or his IRGC handlers, the first statement from the current regime's new leader confirms what the Iranian people have known all along: the Islamic Republic is incapable of change. 

"Terror and repression are in its DNA. 

"This latest statement promises only to continue the same insatiable bloodlust and chaos that has held our nation and the world hostage for decades."

READ MORE: The four-letter acronym that could pull Trump out of Iran

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Respected journalist and presenter Georgie Gardner has resigned from her role after a near 25-year career at Nine.

The Sydney newsreader, who will present her final 9News Sydney bulletin on Friday, April 17, said it was time for fresh beginnings.

"I could not be more grateful for the range of opportunities Nine has afforded me over nearly a quarter of a century," Gardner said.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump says new Iran leader 'probably' alive as conspiracies swirl

"Anchoring news bulletins across the day, as well as reporting and hosting roles on virtually every news program at the Network has been incredibly satisfying and an enormous privilege.

"I will be forever thankful for having worked with countless colleagues, who are quite simply the best in the industry and I am humbled by the knowledge that there are viewers who have followed my career."

Executive Director of News and Current Affairs Fiona Dear said Gardner's versatility as a presenter saw her hold almost every on-air news role at Nine.

"It's a remarkable achievement and during that time Georgie has been loved and respected by audiences across Australia," Dear said.

"She has had a front row seat to some of the most important moments in history, delivering the biggest news stories to audiences first thing in the morning, in prime time at 6pm and late into the evening with Nightline.

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"Georgie's professionalism and composure during breaking news events makes her one of the most talented newsreaders in the country.

"Georgie's decision to step away from television news has our full support and we thank her and wish her well in her future endeavours."

Gardner got her foot in the door of the media industry with a radio cadetship at Radio 2NX in Newcastle NSW in 1992.

She moved to Sydney in 1994 to read the news at 2Day FM in 1994.

She also worked as a television news reporter and fill-in presenter at multiple networks before she joined Nine in July 2002.

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After starting at 9News presenting 6pm weekday weather with Brian Henderson and reading the Morning news, Gardner joined the Today Show in 2007 as newsreader and fill-in host – a role she held until 2014.

In 2018 she rejoined the Today Show as host for two years.

For the better part of 17 years, Gardner has anchored 9News Sydney's 6pm weekend bulletin.

Gardner told viewers on social media it was time to embark on a new chapter.

"I'm open to new opportunities and I'm excited," she said.

"Starting out at 2NX Newcastle in 1992 as a wide-eyed 21-yr-old from Perth, little did I realise my career path would be so rich and rewarding.

"Opening my mind to new ideas, satiating my curiosity for news and current affairs, highlighting causes for positive change, and accommodating my passion for communicating and connecting with people – broadcasting has been a great gift."

Gardner said there were countless colleagues and interviewees who enriched her journey.

"They are the reason why the decision to resign has not been made lightly," she said.

"So to them and our viewers, I am immensely grateful.

"It's been awesome, and it's time."

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter fired pistols during an inspection of a light munitions factory, as he pushes to modernise conventional forces after years of focus on nuclear weapons.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a factory producing pistols and other light arms a day earlier and reviewed a new pistol that recently entered production.

After testing the weapon at a shooting range, Kim rated it “excellent,” the agency said. The agency did not mention the presence of Kim’s daughter in its text report but its photos showed her firing a pistol along with senior military officials.

READ MORE: Penny Wong told thousands of Australian expats in the Gulf to fly home now. Here's why plenty of them want to stay

Kim said the factory was crucial for supplying pistols and other light arms to the military and security forces, and urged expanded capacity and more modern production lines, KCNA said.

Since first appearing in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim’s daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 13 — has accompanied her father to a growing number of events, including military displays, factory openings and a September trip to Beijing, where Kim Jong Un held his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years.

Her increasingly prominent public appearances have prompted South Korean intelligence officials and experts to assess that Kim Jong Un is likely grooming her as a future leader to extend the family dynasty into a fourth generation.

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State media last month showed the girl testing a sniper rifle as Kim presented the weapons to senior officials following a ruling party congress where he issued his major political and military goals for the next five years.

The visit to the pistol factory followed an inspection on Tuesday in which Kim and his daughter watched the test launch of what state media described as nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a naval destroyer, as Kim called for speeding up the nuclear armament of his navy.

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Service stations across Australia have been hit by fuel shortages, leading to panic buying and queues of cars around the block in some places.

But there are no lines of locals hoping to fill up jerry cans at the independent Batlow petrol station – because it's clean out of fuel.

The only servo in the town more than 400km from Sydney ran out of petrol earlier this week and no one knows when more will arrive.

LIVE UPDATES: Iran reveals underground 'missile tunnels

"We've got no fuel, and the operator hasn't got any and can't give us any sort of date when the fuel is going to come back," Batlow service station worker Sam Hughes told nine.com.au.

He said operators are having a hard time finding fuel at a reasonable price, leaving independent stations like Batlow in strife.

"This is the environment where independents get squeezed out of markets," he said.

"We're waiting to see if the market comes down or we get some sort of government assistance."

READ MORE: Rain set to continue in wet start to autumn across parts of country

Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr echoed Hughes' fear that independent retailers are being squeezed out by big companies, leaving communities like Batlow to pay the price.

"I'm hearing of independent operators under quite a lot of pressure, not getting fuel, running low on fuel, even running out of fuel elsewhere too," he told nine.com.au.

"That says to me, there is an issue with the system, this is not just panic buying.

"Batlow is a bit like the canary in the coal mine."

The fuel shortage caused by the war in Iran has hit regional areas especially hard, as most have access to a limited number of service stations but rely on petrol for more than just getting around.

Plenty of Batlow locals own acreages and need fuel for tractors and other machinery as well as their cars.

It's also vital to the local agriculture industry, as well as emergency services in the region.

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With the local servo all sold out, Batlow residents are being forced to drive 30 minutes away to Tumut for reliable fuel.

But if you've only got a quarter tank left, and there's no public transport, that's a big ask.

"It's been a shock to the local population, especially in the lower socio-economic [bracket]," Hughes said.

"Hopefully there's a bit of community spirit when it comes to jerry canning around."

He added that Australians living in metropolitan areas don't understand just how hard the fuel shortage has hit regional areas.

Because it's not just Batlow struggling; it's small towns across the entire nation.

And the shortage could have a significant long-term impact on those local economies.

READ MORE: Search underway for man who vanished off a houseboat amid Queensland floods

"In regional areas, agriculture and truck transport are the lifeline of our economy," McGirr said.

"They're important for all of our wealth, so our focus on that is going to be pretty critical in the months ahead."

Today, Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the government will help address the fuel shortage by releasing up to 20 per cent of its local "rainy day" stockpiles for petrol and diesel.

It will free up more than 760 million litres of fuel from the nation's domestic reserves.

Bowen said the government is also taking steps to prioritise supply to regional areas hit hardest by the shortage.

In the meantime, McGirr and Hughes said Batlow is a resilient community and will rally together until more fuel arrives.

When exactly that will be, however, remains unclear.

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In a city teeming with expats, Emiratis are a minority in Dubai.

Foreign nationals represent close to 90 per cent of the entire United Arab Emirates (UAE) population.

When the war began, an estimated 20,000 Australians were living permanently in Dubai alone.

And despite Foreign Minister Penny Wong's insistence that Australian expats still in the Middle East should book a flight home now, plenty have no plans to leave.

READ MORE: Jessica's family trip was ruined over a 'distressing' citizenship revelation

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In the battle for Aussie dollars, a new winner has been crowned.

Kmart was named the country's No.1 retailer at the Power Retail awards in Melbourne on Thursday night.

The shopping giant owned by Wesfarmers — a Perth-based conglomerate valued at $85 billion — beat out Big W for the top spot.

READ MORE: Iran's new supreme leader speaks for the first time

Big W, which is owned by $43 billion Woolworths Group, was last year's winner.

Power Retail's top Australian retailers, in order, are:

1. Kmart
2. Myer
3. Bunnings Warehouse
4. Officeworks
5. Chemist Warehouse
6. Big W
7. JB Hi-Fi
8. The Iconic
9. Dan Murphy's
10. Adore Beauty
11. BCF
12. Rebel
13. The Good Guys
14. David Jones
15. Petbarn
16. Appliances Online
17. Target
18. Bonds
19. Ikea

READ MORE: Trump's decision wiped a trillion dollars from the market. But this is one call he can't chicken out of

Power Retail, an industry outlet providing companies with news, data and insights, said its rankings were weighed according to four pillars: acquisition, conversion, fulfilment and retention.

Power Retail head of data David Fear said Kmart ticked all the boxes to reclaim top spot.

"We score retailers across five pillars, with the highest weighting on how well they integrate their online and in-store operations," he said.

"Kmart led the Index because they delivered where it matters most — and where most retailers still have gaps.

"Less than half show real-time store stock online. Only around 30 per cent have a dedicated app or wish list functionality. Kmart has all of them, backed by a strong returns policy and a cross-channel loyalty program.

"In a market where shoppers are rapidly changing their habits, that kind of completeness across the entire customer journey is what separates the leaders."

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Mass confusion over the United Kingdom's new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme and its impact on Australians with British ancestry has forced some Australian travellers to cancel trips abroad.

Dual Australian-British citizens must now travel on their UK passport to visit England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales after the government updated its entry requirements.

The controversial new rules also means many Australians may unknowingly be a citizen of the UK if their parents were born in there or in a British territory.

Darwin couple Jessica and Steven Sangster's long-awaited family holiday to visit elderly parents in Scotland was ruined over this murky rule change.

READ MORE: Debbie was grieving her mum's sudden death. Then her ashes were stolen

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In the past year, some of the biggest swings on the financial markets can be directly attributed to one man: Donald Trump.

The sharpest drop came from his tariff announcement on his so-called Liberation Day.

The sharpest jump came several days later when he backed down.

READ MORE: Trump denies knowledge of report blaming US for school bombing

And a few days later, the market tanked again when he announced new tariffs.

For traders around the world, including in Australia, so much of their financial future is tethered to the unpredictable nature of the president.

And the results are far more severe this time around than in Trump's first term.

"In Trump's first term, there were two things that held him back," independent economist Saul Eslake told nine.com.au.

"One was that he didn't expect to win, and so he didn't really have a plan.

"And second, there were adults in the room, both on his staff and in the cabinet, to restrain his worst instincts."

His volatility has also rattled the traditional safe haven of investors: the US dollar.

"When markets feel very uncertain about the economic or geopolitical outlook, the US dollar goes up and US bond yields go down," Eslake said.

"Well, not any more."

Now, that safe-haven status has switched to the Swiss franc and to precious metals like gold and silver.

READ MORE: Trump has been giving the Iranians the boot. Now he demands asylum

But traders have taken solace in a four-letter word: TACO.

The acronym, short for Trump Always Chickens Out, is based on the idea that the president will back down from his worst impulses once he sees the stock market response.

"Donald Trump tends to see the share markets as a barometer of his success," AMP economist My Bui said.

"Donald Trump actually backed out last year to appease the voters a little bit by getting rid of tariffs on furniture and cocoa, beef and bananas."

But said traders were buying and selling on the assumption Trump would back out of his war in Iran.

When markets opened after Trump began his war in Iran, it was a bloodbath.

The ASX lost $90 billion in a day. Wall Street lost $1.1 trillion.

Trump has been sending mixed messages in the meantime on the duration of the war, claiming simultaneously it was nearly over or with much worse to come.

READ MORE: Joe Rogan pans Donald Trump's 'insane' actions in Iran

But this war with Iran does not give him an easy option to "chicken out".

"He has always had an off-ramp," Eslake said.

"And most of the time when there's been an adverse market reaction to something stupid he has said or done, he takes the off-ramp.

"But it's not obvious that there's an off-ramp here."

Peace with Iran appears a difficult proposition. The US attacked the country during its negotiations, which should make it less likely to willingly enter ceasefire talks.

And the new supreme leader may be unwilling to back down after air strikes killed his father, mother, wife, sister and son.

For the US, simply pulling out of the region won't guarantee the Iranian regime won't use its weapons to stop shipping traffic in the Straits of Hormuz.

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Iran's unrelenting attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf pushed oil back above $100 a barrel on Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight.

Iran is trying to inflict enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to halt their bombardment, which started the war on February 28. Iran's president said its attacks would continue until Iran gets security guarantees against another assault, indicating that even a ceasefire or US declaration of victory might not halt the conflict.

US President Donald Trump has meanwhile promised to "finish the job", even though he claimed Iran is "virtually destroyed".

READ MORE: Trump denies knowledge of report blaming US for school bombing

Iran-backed Hezbollah militants meanwhile launched some 200 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel while sirens rang out and loud booms from the interception of Iranian missiles could be heard in other areas. Israel launched another wave of attacks on Tehran and in Lebanon, where 11 people were killed.

The UN refugee agency said up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the ongoing war. It said most have fled from Tehran and other major cities toward the north of the country or rural areas. It says at least 759,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon.

Iranian officials dismiss any notion of backing down

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested online on Thursday that for the war to end, the world would need to recognize Iran's "legitimate rights", pay reparations and offer guarantees against future attacks.

In addition to attacking energy infrastructure around the region, Iran has a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway leading from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported.

Amid speculation that the US might target Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, Iran's main oil terminal, Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf threatened in a social media post that any attempt to take Iranian islands would "make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders".

With traffic in the strait effectively stopped, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose another 9 per cent to more than $100 a barrel, up some 38 per cent more than what it cost when the war started. Prices have swung back and forth in recent days, at one point surging to around $120 a barrel.

READ MORE: Oil price could fly past unheard-of milestone, major bank warns

Iran and Hezbollah launch multiple attacks on Israel

It was a sleepless night for many Israelis as Hezbollah launched some 200 rockets at the country's north and deeper into Israel, according to the Israeli military.

"The noise was extraordinary, it was really scary," said Naama Porat, a resident of the rural community of Klil, some 15 kilometres from the Lebanese border. As the sound of explosions and interceptions rang out, she dashed with her son to a shelter and spent the night there.

No serious injuries were reported, but the extent of the fire shook residents of the north, who have repeatedly been told by their leaders that Hezbollah was dealt a devastating blow in 2024 during its last war with Israel.

"They have stocks of weapons and it just doesn't end. We don't know how much and what to expect," Porat said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon that if its government does not prevent Hezbollah from attacking, Israel "will take the territory and do it ourselves".

READ MORE: Wong tells Aussie expats in the Middle East to get out now

More than 20 killed in strikes on Lebanon and Iran

Israel, meantime, hit a car in a seaside area of Lebanon's capital where dozens of displaced people have been sheltering, killing eight and wounding 31, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said it was "not aware" of a strike at that location.

The Israeli military said it struck a nuclear facility in Iran in recent days. Israel had destroyed the "Taleghan 2" site in an airstrike in October 2024. Earlier this year satellite photos raised concerns that Iran was working to restore the facility.

The US and Israel say that destroying whatever remains of Iran's nuclear program is one of the central aims of the war. They have long suspected Iran seeks nuclear weapons, while the Islamic Republic says its nuclear program is peaceful.

In Tehran, security force checkpoints came under attack for the first time on Wednesday night, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported. At least 10 people were killed in the suspected drone assaults.

Israel and the US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment over whether they were behind the attacks.

READ MORE: US-Ied air assault on Iran nears 13th day with no end in sight

Iran fires at Gulf Arab countries and hits ship in Persian Gulf

Iran's latest attacks on its Gulf neighbors flouted a UN Security Council resolution approved on Wednesday.

Early on Thursday, a container ship was hit with a projectile off the coast of Dubai, sparking a small fire, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. It said the crew were safe.

An Iranian attack sparked a major fire on Muharraq Island, home to Bahrain's international airport. Kuwait authorities said an Iranian drone smashed into a residential building, wounding two people, and that a drone attack on Kuwait International Airport had caused damage but no casualties.

The UAE said it had activated air defenses twice to protect the futuristic city of Dubai from attacks, and firefighters extinguished a blaze at a tower after a drone hit.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, said it shot down a drone targeting the diplomatic quarter in its capital, Riyadh, and other drones in the east, including at least one trying to target its Shaybah oil field.

Following an attack on Iraq's Basra port on Wednesday that killed at least one person, officials said on Thursday that operations were halted at all the country's oil terminals.

In the UAE, Citibank said it would close all but one of its branches due to an Iranian threat — not yet realised — to target financial institutions in the region.

Donald Trump has briefly turned his attention from the conflict in Iran to endorse YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul for political office.

The US president invited his "friend" Paul on stage during a rally in Kentucky and made a bold prediction about the 29-year-old's future in Congress.

Paul has already made several drastic career U-turns after transitioning from a Disney Channel actor to social media influencer, before turning to professional boxing.

LIVE UPDATES: Ships in Strait of Hormuz in crosshairs of Iran conflict

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"I just want to say I predict, I'm going to make a prediction, that you will be in the not too distant future, running for political office, OK," Trump told Paul, adding that he is an "incredible guy".

"And you have my complete and total endorsement, OK?''

Trump's declaration prompted applause and cheers from the audience.

While introducing Paul – brother of fellow internet star Logan Paul – to the stage, Trump praised his prowess in the boxing ring.

Paul won six consecutive fights early in his boxing career, before his streak ended in a loss to Tommy Fury in 2023.

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He went on to beat boxing legend Mike Tyson by unanimous decision in an eight-round heavyweight exhibition match in 2024.

Trump described Paul as a "hell of a fighter" and a "tough cookie" before making mention of his fiancee, Dutch Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam, who won gold at Milano Cortina 2026.

"He's got a brand new beautiful fiancee. And you're not allowed to use the word beautiful when describing women anymore," Trump said.

"It's the end of your political career, but I'll say it anyway.

"What the hell? She's beautiful. She just won the Olympic gold medal."

Ohio-born Paul then took to the podium and reciprocated Trump's glowing salute.

He told the crowd that Trump taught him courage and to "never back down from a fight".

"I grew up just a few hours away from here. My dad taught me to fight," he said.

"And all of our voices matter in America. And I'm never afraid to speak the truth."

"God's got us. Trump's got us. God bless. Love you, Kentucky."

The path from pro-athlete to politician is not uncommon in the US.

Former pro-wrestling star Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota in 1999.

Actor, Olympic weightlifter and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of California in 2003.

And former New York Knicks star Bill Bradley forged a successful career as a US senator after leaving the NBA.

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