Mojtaba Khamenei succeeds father as Iran’s Supreme Leader amid raging conflict

Tehran, March 9: Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, succeeding his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even as the country remains locked in an escalating conflict with the United States and Israel.

The decision was made by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of clerics responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader after the death of Khamenei.

Confirming the decision, the assembly issued a statement shortly after midnight on Sunday, Tehran time.

“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 post of Supreme Leader gives Mojtaba Khamenei ultimate authority over all matters of state in the country, including control over the military, judiciary and key political institutions.

His appointment is expected to heighten tensions with Washington.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the United States should have a say in the leadership transition in Iran.

“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told the press.

Israel had also issued warnings ahead of the announcement, indicating that whoever assumed the role could be targeted.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a mid-ranking cleric believed to wield significant influence within Iran’s security establishment and the vast economic networks built under his father’s leadership, had long been viewed as a leading contender for the position.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s longtime Supreme Leader, was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran on February 28 as hostilities erupted between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.

The conflict has already taken a heavy toll. According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, the US-Israeli military campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and left thousands more wounded.

The US military reported on Sunday that a seventh American service member had died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week earlier.

The announcement came a day after Trump oversaw the return to the United States of the remains of six other American personnel who had been killed.

Despite calls from Washington for Tehran to capitulate, Iranian leaders signalled that the country has no intention of backing down.

As Trump pressed for what he described as an “unconditional surrender”, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran is not seeking a ceasefire and would continue to "punish" those responsible for the attacks.

Meanwhile, Israel continued to target senior Iranian officials as part of its military campaign.

Israeli authorities said Abolqasem Babaian, who had recently been appointed head of the military office of Iran's Supreme Leader, was killed in an airstrike carried out on Saturday.

As the fighting entered its ninth day, residents in Tehran reported seeing thick black smoke hanging over parts of the city after airstrikes targeted oil storage facilities.

The attacks lit up the night sky with large plumes of orange flames, indicating significant damage to energy infrastructure.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the large-scale assault as a dangerous escalation in the conflict 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 a social media platform.

IANS