Trump says he wants to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader. The U.S. and Israel are hammering the country for a sixth day. Iran has kept up its retaliatory attacks on Israel, American bases and countries around the region. The war has escalated each day, affecting an additional 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond. On Thursday, Azerbaijan accused Iran of attacking it with drones — though Tehran denied that. Israel meanwhile issued a mass evacuation warning for all of Beirut’s southern suburbs as the fighting escalated with Lebanon’s Iran-allied Hezbollah militants. U.N. peacekeepers reported ground combat in southern Lebanon as more Israeli troops crossed the border.

US and Mideast countries seek Kyiv’s drone expertise as Russia-Ukraine talks put on ice

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Zelenskyy says various countries, including the United States, have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones. He said he has spoken in recent days with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation. Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago. Iran has responded with the same type of drones to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.

South Korean investigators seek arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal held its first nationwide election since a youth-led uprising forces the last government from power. Officials reported peaceful voting and about 60% turnout. Election officials say they’ll start counting once ballot boxes reach counting centers. They’ll also use helicopters to collect boxes from remote mountain villages by Friday morning. Many voters say they want change after deadly protests over corruption and poor governance. The vote was shaped as a three-way race. The new, reformist National Independent Party challenged the long-dominant Nepali Congress and the Communist Party.

Azerbaijan accuses neighbor Iran of a drone attack and vows to retaliate

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Azerbaijan has accused Iran of a drone attack on its territory, as the war in the Middle East reached into another country. Azerbaijan officials said Thursday that Iranian drones attacked its exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring four civilians and damaging an airport building. President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran of carrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression,” and said his military has been told to prepare retaliatory measures. Iran’s armed forces denied it had launched a drone toward Azerbaijan’s territory. The incident highlighted Azerbaijan’s complicated relationship with neighboring Iran because Baku also has developed military and economic ties with Israel.