TEHRAN,— Iran on Monday appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, in a move that signaled the continued hold of hardline forces over the Islamic Republic.
The decision came as fighting between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli alliance entered its second week, pushing global oil prices higher and sending Asian stock markets sharply lower.
Missile and drone attacks continued across the Middle East as the war reached its 10th day. Israel and Iran both launched new strikes, adding to tensions in a conflict that has already spread to several countries in the region.
The Israeli military said on Monday it had started a new round of attacks in central Iran. The military also reported striking infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah militants in Beirut.
Iran and its allied groups carried out attacks in several parts of the region as well. Police sources said rockets and drones targeted a U.S. diplomatic facility near Baghdad’s international airport. The incoming fire was intercepted by a C-RAM defense system.
Security sources reported that a drone also struck near a U.S. military base close to Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan. Saudi authorities said their air defenses intercepted a drone east of the northern Jawf region.
A thick smoke rising from the direction of the BAPCO oil refinery in Bahrain, Reuters reported. The Bahraini government said an Iranian drone strike hit the area, causing injuries and damage.
In Tehran, authorities showed defiance as they confirmed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei is a cleric who has influence within Iran’s security forces and business networks linked to his father. Before the vote, he was widely seen as a leading candidate for the position.
The decision was made by the Assembly of Experts, a council of 88 clerics responsible for selecting the supreme leader of Iran. The body announced the outcome in a statement released 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.
The role of supreme leader holds ultimate authority over all state matters in the Islamic Republic, including military, political and judicial affairs.
Mojtaba Khamenei replaces his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran more than a week ago during the early stage of the conflict.
His appointment could anger U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump said on Sunday that Washington should have influence over the choice of Iran’s leader.
“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told ABC News.
Israel had also warned earlier that it might target whoever was selected as Iran’s next supreme leader.
After Mojtaba Khamenei was officially named, Trump declined to give a detailed response. In an interview with the Times of Israel, he said only, “We’ll see what happens,” according to the newspaper.
Trump also said that ending the war would require a joint decision between Washington and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Casualties from the conflict continued to rise. The U.S. military said another American service member died from wounds suffered during Iran’s initial retaliation one week earlier. The announcement came a day after Trump attended the return of the remains of six other U.S. personnel who had been killed.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said that U.S. and Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands more.
The fighting continues to affect several areas across the Middle East, including Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and the Gulf region, as military operations expand during the ongoing conflict.
(With files from Reuters)
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