According to Israeli media, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, has been selected as Iran's upcoming Supreme Leader. Reports indicate that Iran's Assembly of Experts appointed him as Khamenei's successor.
Khamenei, who had been the country's leader for 36 years, was killed in a joint US-Israeli operation on February 28 while at his 'compound'. His daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were also killed. Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack.
Khamenei is set to be interred in the sacred city of Mashhad, with a "grand farewell ceremony" planned in Tehran, according to a post by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Telegram. The specific date for the burial has not been announced yet.
Khamenei did not have an appointed successor. An interim Leadership Council in Iran, consisting of Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, took over the Supreme Leader's duties until a new successor was chosen.
Tensions between the US and Israel regarding Iran
The coordinated US-Israel offensive, dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury', was initiated following halted nuclear negotiations and allegations that Tehran had restarted its nuclear program. The strikes hit several Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran, resulting in over 700 fatalities, according to reports.
Just hours following the coordinated assault, Iran fired missiles, many of which struck Gulf areas such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Bahrain. The situation in the Middle East intensified as Iran pledged to retaliate for the assassination of its Supreme Leader, while US President Donald Trump cautioned that it was 'too late' for Iran to negotiate to 'avoid a war.' Drones and missiles targeted oil facilities and US embassies in the Gulf as the Islamic Republic responded, and Israel advanced its forces further into Lebanon to confront the Tehran-supported Hezbollah after it joined the conflict.
On Tuesday, as the conflict reached its fourth day, a drone attack ignited a fire at the US consulate in Dubai. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio verified the drone strike and assured that all staff members "were safe".