WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that when to end the war with Iran will be a "mutual" decision made with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking by phone with The Times of Israel, Trump said Netanyahu will have input on resolving the conflict.

"I think it’s mutual ... a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account," said Trump.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

The satellite image posted by an Iranian news outlet looked real: a devastated US base in Qatar. But it was an AI-generated fake, underscoring the accelerating threat of tech-enabled disinformation during wartime.

The rise of generative AI has turbocharged the ability of state actors and propagandists to fabricate convincing satellite imagery during major conflicts, a trend that researchers warn carries real-world security implications.

At least five players from Iran's visiting women's football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.

Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.

US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they were forced to board a plane home.

SYDNEY, March 9 (Reuters) - Australia has asked the family members and dependants of diplomatic officials in the United Arab Emirates to leave the country, following an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East as several Gulf cities came under Iranian bombardment.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was not seeking negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran, which have driven up global energy prices, disrupted business and snarled air travel.

Hezbollah said on Monday it was fighting Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter across the Syrian border, the second such operation since the outbreak of the latest conflict with Israel.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes.

STOCKHOLM, March 9 (Reuters) - Europe became the world's biggest arms importer over the last five years as governments reacted to Russia's threat and waning confidence in U.S. security commitments, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showed on Monday.

European countries more than trebled their arms imports in 2021-25 versus 2016-2020 to supply Ukraine in its defence against Russian invasion and to rebuild their own militaries after decades of under-investment.

March 8 (Reuters) - Oman's Muscat International Airport has asked private jet operators to avoid using the site for "additional flights," giving priority to government and commercial flights as fresh airspace closures hit the region’s attempts to increase travel, according to an email seen by Reuters.

"Due to the current crisis management measures at Muscat International Airport, flight movements are restricted to approved seasonal scheduled services only," the airport authorities told charter plane operators on Friday.

ISTANBUL, March 9 (Reuters) - Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu goes on trial on Monday in a sweeping corruption case that could extinguish the ambition of Tayyip Erdogan's main rival to become president at Turkey's next election.

Imamoglu, 55, is the chief suspect among more than 400 defendants linked to the Istanbul municipality accused of corruption and bribery. He and his main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deny the charges, which carry prison sentences adding up to hundreds of years.

About 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have come under attack since Iran blocked the strategic waterway in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, data analysis groups report.

The attacks throughout the week following the outbreak of war on February 28 almost completely halted traffic through the strait, a crucial route for oil and other goods.

Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO has issued around 10 alerts for attacks as well as warnings of suspicious activity, but has released few details on the vessels involved.

By Samia Nakhoul and Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, March 9 (Reuters) - Iran's clerical leadership chose confrontation over compromise in appointing Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, a move regional officials say is a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump, who had declared the son "unacceptable".

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike at the start of the conflict, now in its second week.