Move could lead to escalation of war as Donald Trump has already called Mojtaba Khamenei an ‘unacceptable’ choice. Plus, stormy space weather may be garbling messages from aliens

• Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here

Good morning.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as his successor, as the war enters its 10th day and fresh missile and drone strikes reverberate across the Middle East.

Why has the Iran war prompted fears of stagflation for the global economy? Oil prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, triggering a stark sell-off across some of the world’s leading stock markets amid growing concern that the US-Israel war on Iran could set the stage for a global economic shock.

What else is happening? The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, spoke to the US president on Sunday afternoon after a barrage of criticism from Trump, who told his UK ally on Saturday that his help was not needed, even as the US continued to use UK bases for strikes against Iran.

Who is the suspect? Authorities announced on Thursday that they had arrested 22-year-old Ivan Miller of Iowa as a suspect in the murders. Police say Miller had no connection to the women.