Iran's Assembly of Experts Announces Selection of New Supreme Leader
The body responsible for selecting Iran's supreme leader, the Assembly of Experts, has confirmed it has reached a decision on a successor to Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28. The announcement comes amid escalating regional violence and explicit threats from Israel targeting any figure chosen to replace Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years.
Selection Process and Israeli Warnings
Mohsen Heydari, a member of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, stated on Sunday that "the most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined," according to Iran's ISNA news agency. Another member, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, confirmed in a video carried by Fars news agency that "a firm opinion reflecting the majority view has been reached." The name of the selected candidate was not immediately disclosed.
In response, the Israeli military issued a stark warning in a Farsi-language post on X, declaring it would continue pursuing every successor of Iran's late supreme leader and anyone involved in the appointment process. This threat underscores the heightened tensions following Khamenei's death during the first day of the war with Iran.
Potential Candidates and Internal Divisions
In recent days, Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the deceased leader, emerged as an early frontrunner for the position. However, his appointment faces significant obstacles. Critics view such a move as entrenching a regime accused by rights groups of killing at least 7,000 people in recent months. Additionally, a father-to-son succession is generally frowned upon within Iran's Shia clerical establishment, particularly in a republic born from the overthrow of a monarchy in 1979.
The selection process occurred as fighting between Israel and Iran intensified over the weekend. Iranian strikes have targeted energy infrastructure across the Gulf, while Israeli attacks have hit oil storage and fuel facilities inside Iran. A fresh wave of Iranian strikes on Sunday affected Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, with Saudi Arabia intercepting 15 drones and Bahrain reporting material damage to a crucial desalination plant.
Regional Escalation and Leadership Rifts
The recent attacks on Gulf states appear to highlight internal divisions within Iran's leadership, contradicting remarks made on Saturday by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian had apologized to countries on the Arabian peninsula and suggested strikes against them would end, provided their airspace and US bases were not used against Iran. Analysts note that Pezeshkian's pledge exposed rare public rifts within the ruling elite, with officials scrambling to reinterpret his words, which angered more conservative factions.
Despite this, Iranian military actions continued, with overnight US and Israeli strikes hitting five oil facilities around Tehran. An Iranian official reported that the sites were damaged but fires were brought under control. Meanwhile, Israel's war expanded to multiple fronts, with intense strikes on Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group. Israeli assaults in Lebanon killed four people in a hotel blast in Beirut and 12 others in southern areas, with Israel claiming it was targeting "key commanders" in Iran's Quds Force.
Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 339 deaths in the conflict, and the Norwegian Refugee Council stated about 300,000 people had fled their homes. According to reports from US media organizations like the Washington Post and Fox News, Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence that could help target US military assets in the region, though this remains unconfirmed by The Guardian.
