Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's next supreme leader, Iranian state media reports

Emirates Flight 203, the first direct, commercial flight from the United Arab Emirates to the U.S. since the conflict with Iran began, landed safely in New York City on Thursday morning.

It’s not clear what, if any, role the U.S. government had in facilitating the flight.

Emirates previously announced that it had suspended its regularly scheduled flights through March 7, and the airline has since carried out a number of repatriation flights. The State Department announced Thursday night that a charter flight had left the Middle East and was on its way back to the U.S.

-ABC News’ Clara McMichael

President Donald Trump said that he has "to be involved in the appointment" of Iran's next supreme leader in an exclusive phone interview with Axios on Thursday.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the U.S. and Israel strikes.

"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela," Trump said, according to Axios.

But in a Saturday video Trump posted on social media after Operation Epic Fury began, he said to the Iranian people, "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take."

Axios also reported that Trump said he does not want another hard-liner in leadership, saying that would make the U.S. go back to war with Iran "in five years."

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said, according to Axios.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

The State Department says it’s aware of 20,000 Americans who have returned to the U.S. from the Middle East since Saturday. The department said its task force has helped 10,000 Americans.

The department also said it is expanding its crisis intake form -- which previously covered the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel -- to now include Bahrain and Kuwait.

The Trump administration has faced criticism for not having a plan in place to evacuate Americans in advance of the joint operation. The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart from 14 countries in the region using commercial means, but there are significant disruptions in air travel.

In addition to the charter flight that left the Middle East Wednesday night, the department said it expects “additional flights and ground transports” to take place Thursday in order to move Americans out of the region.

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

A series of loud explosions were heard in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, with the Defense Ministry saying in a statement that the country had been subjected to "a missile attack."

Qatari officials said Iran launched 14 ballistic missiles and four drones into Qatar around 11:51 a.m. local time. Thirteen missiles were intercepted, while one missile fell into the water, the Qataris said, and all four drones were intercepted. No injuries were reported.

-ABC News’ Marcus Moore, Dragana Jovanovic and Colm O’Molloy