US, Israel Reject Iran’s New Leader As NATO Intercepts Second Missile Threatening Turkey; US Shares Recover (Worthy News Focus)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/TEHRAN (Worthy News) – NATO-linked air defenses intercepted a second Iranian ballistic missile threatening alliance member Turkey on Monday as the United States and Israel rejected Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he was “not happy” with the appointment of the 56-year-old cleric, who was chosen by Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Israeli airstrikes earlier in the conflict.

Israeli officials also issued a sharp warning. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the new leader shares the same radical ideology as his father and could therefore become a target.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on social media platform X, accusing Mojtaba Khamenei of continuing what it called the “cruelty of the regime.”

The developments raised fears that the widening war between Israel, the United States, and Iran could spill further into NATO territory and destabilize the broader region.

MARKETS REACT TO WAR

Financial markets initially reacted swiftly, followed by a remarkable comeback in roughly the last trading hour in the United States.

Monday began with Asian stocks tumbling, including South Korea’s Kospi index briefly triggering an automatic trading halt after falling more than 6 percent amid heavy selling.

European shares also declined, while Wall Street stocks moved lower as investors sought safer assets.

The turmoil wiped roughly $6 trillion off global equity markets in recent days. But suddenly, U.S. stocks recovered from steep losses on Monday, flipping firmly into the green after President Trump hinted the war with Iran “could be over soon.” Crude fell quickly after surging past $100 per barrel amid fears the conflict could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index rose more than 1.3%, recovering from steep losses earlier in the day. Additionally, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 0.5%, or about 240 points, recovering from a more than 800-point loss. The benchmark S&P 500, tracking the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States, gained 0.8%.

SECOND MISSILE INCIDENT

The political and market turmoil coincided with a new security incident involving NATO territory.

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense said a ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted over the eastern Mediterranean before it could reach Turkish territory.

Officials said the projectile was destroyed before impact, with debris falling in an open area near the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep. No casualties were reported.

It was the second Iranian ballistic missile incident involving Turkish airspace in recent days, according to Turkish officials.

US DESTROYER INVOLVED

The interception was carried out by a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer operating in the eastern Mediterranean, part of NATO’s missile-defense posture deployed to protect the alliance’s southeastern flank, officials said.

The missile was believed to have been heading toward the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, a major Turkish-American military facility hosting U.S. forces.

NATO confirmed that allied air-defense systems had intercepted the missile and reiterated that the alliance remains ready to defend all member states against threats.

Despite the incidents, Turkey has not invoked Article Five of the NATO treaty, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.

TURKEY AVOIDS NATO ARTICLE FIVE

Ankara has also refrained from triggering emergency consultations under Article Four, instead stressing its desire to avoid being drawn directly into the widening conflict.

Turkish officials have offered to mediate between the United States, Israel, and Iran while warning that the country will respond to threats against its territory.

The violence also continues to spread across the region.

Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes and clashes linked to the conflict have killed at least 486 people and wounded more than 1,300 since fighting intensified after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel.

The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said nearly 700,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon during the past ten days, including about 200,000 children.

GLOBAL POWERS TAKE SIDES

Hezbollah, designated as an Iran-backed terrorist organization by Israel and most of its allies, said Monday it fired “advanced rockets” at an Israeli base near Tel Aviv. At the same time,Israel’s military continued airstrikes in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon.

Amid the clashes, Russia backed Iran’s new leader, with President Vladimir Putin pledging “steadfast support” for Mojtaba Khamenei and expressing confidence he would continue his father’s policies.

China also warned against foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs.

Despite relentless U.S.-Israeli bombings, Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani warned that the strategic Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to become secure while the war continues.

European leaders have urged de-escalation and diplomacy, while the European Union has begun evacuating thousands of its citizens from the region and preparing humanitarian aid for Lebanon.

Analysts warn the conflict risks widening further, potentially drawing additional regional actors into a confrontation that could threaten global energy supplies and international security.

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