Iran’s ruling clerics have appointed Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in recent US-Israeli strikes that have intensified conflict across the Middle East.
The appointment was announced on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts, the powerful clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s supreme leader.
In a statement, the body said Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was chosen by a decisive vote to become the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
“He is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said, adding that the body did not hesitate despite what it described as “the brutal aggression of America and the evil Zionist regime.”
The decision comes nine days after coordinated US-Israeli strikes killed the elder Khamenei, triggering a wider regional war.
US and Iran clash over leadership decision
US President Donald Trump had previously dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and insisted Washington should have influence over Iran’s next leader.
“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News before the announcement was made.
Iranian officials rejected that stance. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the selection of a new supreme leader was strictly an internal matter.
“We allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs,” Araghchi said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, also demanding that Trump apologise for starting the war.
Mojtaba Khamenei is widely regarded as a conservative figure with strong ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a powerful branch of the country’s military.
Israel has previously warned that any successor to the late leader could become a target if the conflict continues.
Airstrikes worsen conditions in Tehran
Overnight, Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on five oil facilities in and around Tehran, killing at least four people and triggering massive fires that sent thick smoke across the capital.
Officials said the attacks disrupted fuel distribution in the city, leaving much of Tehran covered in a dark haze as the smell of burning fuel filled the air.
Authorities warned residents that the fumes could be toxic and urged people to remain indoors.
“The blaze has been burning for more than 12 hours; the air has become unbreathable,” a resident said.
Conflict spreads across the region
The war has now entered its ninth day, with Iran and Israel continuing missile exchanges.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv after Israeli authorities detected incoming missiles launched from Iran. Emergency services reported that at least six people were injured in central Israel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they still have sufficient supplies to continue missile and drone attacks for up to six months.
Guard spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran had so far used only first- and second-generation missiles but could deploy more advanced long-range weapons in the coming days.
Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia reported two deaths and 12 injuries after a military projectile struck Al Kharj province, while Kuwait said fuel tanks at its international airport were hit in an attack. Bahrain also reported damage to a desalination plant.
Rising casualties and global concern
Iran’s health ministry said at least 1,200 civilians have been killed and around 10,000 wounded since the war began, although the figures have not been independently verified.
In Lebanon, health officials reported that Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 394 people since the country was drawn into the conflict a week ago.
The Israeli military also confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Trump attended the return of the bodies of six American service members who were killed in a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait.
No clear end to the war
Analysts say there is still no clear path toward ending the conflict, which US and Israeli officials believe could last several weeks.
Trump has suggested Iran’s economy could be rebuilt if a leader “acceptable” to Washington takes power.
Global leaders have increasingly called for peace. Pope Leo XIV urged an end to the violence, praying that “the roar of the bombs may cease and the weapons may fall silent.”
What you should know
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the death of his father during US-Israeli strikes.
The leadership change comes as the Middle East conflict intensifies, with missile attacks, airstrikes and rising civilian casualties reported across several countries.
