Israel strikes Qom building as clerics meet to choose Khamenei Successor

Ayataollah Ali Khameini

Israel struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom where senior clerics had gathered to appoint a successor to supreme leader Ayataollah Ali Khameini, an Israeli security official said.

Khamenei, who led Iran since 1989, was assassinated on Saturday, prompting the rare convening of the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body constitutionally tasked with selecting the country's supreme leader.

The council has not met since 1989 when it appointed Khameini.

According to the Israeli security official, it was not immediately clear exactly how many of the assembly's 88 members were inside the building during the strike.

Iran's state news agency claimed that the building hit was an unused, dilapidated building and not a meeting venue.

At the same time, Israel's Mossad intelligence service tweeted a message in Persian declaring that regardless of who is tapped to succeed Khameini, "his fate has already been decided," adding that only the Iranian people will ultimately determine their future leadership.

The tweet included an image of dominoes featuring images and names of prominent clerics thought to be potential successors.

The Israeli military also announced parallel strikes in Tehran and Isfahan aimed at ballistic missile production and launch infrastructure.

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