09 March,2026 04:13 PM IST | Tehran | mid-day online correspondent
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. PIC/AFP
Iran on Monday appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, in a development that signals the continued dominance of hardliners in Tehran even as the country remains engaged in an intensifying conflict with the United States (US) and Israel.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a mid-ranking cleric widely believed to hold considerable influence within Iran's security apparatus and the extensive economic networks established during his father's leadership, had long been regarded as a leading candidate for the role.
The decision was taken by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body responsible for choosing the Supreme Leader following the death of Ali Khamenei, news agency IANS reported.
The assembly confirmed the decision in a statement issued shortly after midnight in Tehran.
"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said.
As Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei will hold ultimate authority over all state affairs in the Islamic Republic, including control of the military, the judiciary, and key political institutions.
His appointment is expected to further strain relations with Washington. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US should have a role in Iran's leadership transition.
"If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," Trump told ABC News. Israel had also issued warnings ahead of the announcement, indicating that whoever assumed the position could be targeted.
Ali Khamenei, Iran's longtime Supreme Leader, was killed in one of the initial strikes against Iran on February 28, when hostilities erupted between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.
The conflict has already caused significant casualties. The US military reported on Sunday that a seventh American service member had died from injuries suffered during Iran's initial counterattack a week earlier.
The announcement came a day after Trump oversaw the return to the US of the remains of six other American personnel who had been killed.
According to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, the US-Israeli military campaign has led to the deaths of at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and left thousands more injured.
Despite calls from Washington for Tehran to surrender, Iranian leaders signalled they had no intention of backing down. As Trump pushed for what he described as an "unconditional surrender," Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire and would continue to punish those responsible for the attacks.
Meanwhile, Israel continued targeting senior Iranian officials as part of its military campaign. Israeli authorities said Abolqasem Babaian, recently appointed head of the Supreme Leader's military office, was killed in an airstrike carried out on Saturday.
As the fighting entered its ninth day, residents in Tehran reported thick black smoke hanging over parts of the city after airstrikes struck oil storage facilities.
The attacks illuminated the night sky with large plumes of orange flames, indicating major damage to energy infrastructure.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the large-scale assault as a dangerous escalation and accused the attackers of committing a war crime.
"By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air," Baghaei wrote in a post on X.
Israel defended the strikes, saying the facilities were connected to Iran's military capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the offensive against Iran would continue and warned that the country's leadership would face sustained attacks.
(With IANS inputs)
