Iran launched missile attacks against Israel and several Gulf nations early Monday after clerics named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
The escalation comes nine days after joint strikes by the United States and Israel killed the long-time Iranian leader, pushing the Middle East into a widening conflict.
Iran’s state television announced Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment, saying the 88-member Assembly of Experts unanimously selected him as the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
The statement said the clerical body “did not hesitate for a minute” in choosing a new leader despite what it described as aggression from the United States and Israel.
Soon after the announcement, Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones headed for an eastern oil field, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported missile attacks. Bahrain also confirmed that air raid sirens were activated.
Israel responded with a new wave of air strikes targeting infrastructure in central Iran. The expanding war rattled global markets, sending stock prices down and pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel amid fears of supply disruptions.
The conflict has also drawn reactions from global leaders. Donald Trump, President of the United States, had earlier dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and insisted Washington should influence the selection of Iran’s next leader.
Speaking before the announcement, Trump said the new leader would struggle to remain in power without U.S. approval.
Israel’s Defence Minister also warned last week that any successor to Ali Khamenei could become a target as tensions intensify between the two countries.
The conflict has spread across multiple fronts in the region. In Lebanon, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it engaged Israeli forces who reportedly landed in eastern Lebanon using several helicopters.
Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported heavy fighting near the town of Nabi Sheet. Israeli strikes in the country have killed hundreds since the start of the war, according to Lebanese authorities.
In Bahrain, the health ministry said at least 32 people were injured after an Iranian drone strike on the island of Sitra. Saudi Arabia also confirmed that two people were killed and 12 injured when a projectile landed in Al-Kharj province.
Iran’s health ministry said more than 1,200 civilians have been killed and around 10,000 injured since the conflict began, though the figures could not be independently verified.
In Israel, authorities reported that Iranian missile attacks have killed at least 10 people. The Israeli military also confirmed that two soldiers died during operations in Lebanon.
Despite the intensifying conflict, the new Iranian leader is expected to maintain the hardline policies of his father. Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric with close ties to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has already received public pledges of loyalty from the military force.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the leadership transition would ensure the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as the war continues to unfold across the region.
