Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Monday appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, a move that consolidates hardline control in Tehran amid an intensifying week-long conflict with the United States and Israel. The appointment, announced just after midnight Tehran time, gives Mojtaba Khamenei final authority over state affairs in the Islamic Republic.
The 88-member Assembly of Experts — the clerical body charged with selecting the supreme leader — said the decision came “by a decisive vote,” elevating Mojtaba, a mid-ranking cleric, to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba has been described as influential within Iran’s security apparatus and as having extensive business ties tied to his family.
The change in leadership followed a wave of strikes that killed Ali Khamenei in one of the campaign’s opening attacks more than a week earlier. Israel and the United States have continued military pressure since, and Iran’s foreign ministry called recent large-scale strikes a “dangerous new phase” and said they amounted to a war crime. Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X that attacks on fuel depots were releasing hazardous materials into the air.
Israeli military officials said depots struck were used to support Iran’s war effort, including missile propellants. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters the facilities “are a legal military target.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would press on and strike Iran’s rulers “without mercy,” adding his administration had plans aimed at destabilising the regime. Israel also said Abolqasem Babaian, the recently appointed head of the supreme leader’s military office, was killed in a Saturday strike.
The conflict has produced heavy casualties. Iran’s UN ambassador cited at least 1,332 Iranian civilian deaths and thousands wounded. The U.S. military reported a seventh American died from wounds sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack, a day after President Donald Trump presided over the return of remains of six other U.S. service members. Trump told ABC News that Washington should have a say in the new leader’s selection — “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long” — and said he was not seeking negotiations to end the fighting, warning of prolonged disruption to energy markets, business and air travel.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire and promised to punish aggressors. U.S. officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were reported to be visiting Israel on Tuesday amid ongoing diplomatic and military developments.
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Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-israel-us-war-news-live-khameneis-son-mojtaba-khamenei-named-irans-new-supreme-leader-11187447#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-09 03:28:00
