Tehran/Tel Aviv, March 9: Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, in recent US-Israeli strikes, as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies and spreads across the Middle East.
The announcement was made early Monday by the Assembly of Experts, which convened to select the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic since the Iranian Revolution.
A state television announcer read the decision alongside a portrait of the 56-year-old cleric.
“Mojtaba Khamenei is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts,” the statement said.
The clerical body added it “did not hesitate for a minute” in choosing a successor despite what it described as “the brutal aggression of criminal America and the evil Zionist regime.”
Shortly after the announcement, Iran launched a fresh wave of missile strikes toward Israel. State media broadcast footage of a projectile bearing the slogan: “At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba,” using an Islamic honorific for the new leader.
Several explosions were reported over Tel Aviv, where the Magen David Adom said at least six people were wounded.
Explosions were also heard in Doha, home to a major US air base, amid reports that Iranian missiles and drones were targeting facilities across the Gulf.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly pledged loyalty to the new supreme leader, declaring in a statement that it stood ready for “complete obedience and self-sacrifice in carrying out the divine commands” of Mojtaba Khamenei.
Leadership transition amid escalating war
The leadership change comes nine days after US and Israeli strikes reportedly killed Ali Khamenei, plunging the region into a rapidly expanding war.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a trained cleric closely linked to the Revolutionary Guards, is widely regarded as a hardliner who shares his father’s stance against political dissent. Iranian security forces had recently suppressed nationwide protests against the government, leaving thousands dead, according to reports.
Unlike his father—who had served as president under the first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini—the younger Khamenei enters the role with relatively limited public political experience.
US and global reactions
US President Donald Trump had earlier dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and suggested Washington should influence Iran’s leadership transition.
“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News prior to the announcement. Israeli military officials had also warned any successor that Israel “will not hesitate to target” them.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China said the selection of Iran’s new leader was an internal matter for the country.
Oil markets surge as war spreads
The conflict has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Benchmark crude prices surged above $100 per barrel for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
While the spike has raised concerns among major energy-importing nations, Trump dismissed the increase as “a small price to pay” for eliminating what he described as the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme.
Financial markets in Japan and South Korea, both heavily dependent on imported energy, opened sharply lower at the start of the week.
The United States Department of State has ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia, days after a drone struck the US embassy there.
Regional escalation and civilian casualties
Israeli strikes have also intensified. On Sunday, Israel targeted five oil facilities in and around Tehran, killing at least four people and sparking fires that sent thick smoke over the city.
Authorities said fuel distribution in Tehran had been temporarily disrupted, and residents reported strong fumes and damaged buildings.
Iran’s health ministry said at least 1,200 civilians had been killed and around 10,000 wounded since the conflict began, though the figures could not be independently verified.
Lebanon front heats up
The war has also spread to Beirut, where Israel struck a hotel in the city centre—the first attack in the heart of the Lebanese capital since the conflict expanded.
Israel said it targeted commanders of the Quds Force, who were meeting at the site.
Lebanon’s health ministry said four people were killed and 10 injured in the strike.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah vowed to avenge Ali Khamenei’s death, launching rockets toward Israel and engaging Israeli troops who reportedly landed by helicopter in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health authorities say at least 394 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began, including 83 children and 42 women.
Gulf region targeted
Iranian missiles and drones have also struck several Gulf countries hosting US military facilities.
Authorities in Bahrain reported injuries and damage to a desalination plant, while Kuwait said fuel tanks at its main airport were hit.
In Saudi Arabia, officials said a projectile landed in Al-Kharj province, killing two people and wounding 12.
Meanwhile, tourists remain stranded in Dubai as the conflict disrupts commercial flights across the Gulf.
Tensions with Azerbaijan
Amid the regional turmoil, Azerbaijan reopened its border crossings with Iran for cargo traffic, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
However, Azerbaijan has accused Iran of launching drone strikes against the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic region.
Iran denied the allegations, with its armed forces saying no drones had been launched toward Azerbaijan and suggesting that Israel might have carried out the attacks to create divisions among Muslim nations.
Calls for diplomacy
Amid the escalating violence, Pope Leo XIV urged an end to hostilities.
“I pray that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open,” he said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Iran had sufficient missile and drone supplies to continue its campaign across the region for up to six months, raising fears that the conflict could become a prolonged and wider regional war.
