Ali Khamenei's Son Named Iran's New Supreme Leader

Iran's Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as the next Supreme Leader under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards, AzerNEWS reports.

He was selected as Khamenei's successor by Iran's Assembly of Experts, according to reports. Khamenei, who ruled the country for 36 years, was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28 while he was in his compound. Along with him, his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter also lost their lives. Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, died later from injuries sustained during the strikes.

Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, and a large farewell ceremony will be held in Tehran, as stated by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in a post on Telegram. However, the date of the burial has not yet been disclosed.

Khamenei did not have a designated successor. A three-member interim Leadership Council comprised of Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has taken on the responsibilities of the Supreme Leader until a new successor is elected.

US, Israel-Iran tensions

The joint US-Israel strikes, named 'Operation Epic Fury', were launched after stalled nuclear talks and claims that Tehran had resumed its nuclear activities. They targeted many Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran. Over 700 people have been killed in the attack, reports said.

Hours after the joint attack, Iran launched missiles - many of which hit Gulf regions including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Bahrain. Tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate as Iran vowed to avenge the killing of its Supreme Leader, and US President Donald Trump warned it was "too late" for Iran to seek talks to "escape a war". Drones and missiles crashed into oil facilities and US embassies in the Gulf as the Islamic Republic retaliated, and Israel pushed troops deeper into Lebanon to battle the Tehran-backed Hezbollah after it entered the fray.

As the conflict entered its fourth day on Tuesday, a drone attack caused a fire at the US consulate in Dubai. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the drone strike and said all the staff "were safe".

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