Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been elected as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, according to Israeli media outlets.
Reports say he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as the successor to his father.
Khamenei, who had led Iran for 36 years, was reportedly killed during joint US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 while at his residential compound. His daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were also said to have died in the attack. His wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, later reportedly succumbed to injuries sustained during the strikes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, with a large public farewell ceremony to be held in Tehran.
The coordinated military action, referred to in reports as “Operation Epic Fury,” was launched following stalled nuclear negotiations and allegations that Tehran had resumed nuclear activities. Multiple Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran, were targeted. Reports indicate that more than 700 people were killed in the strikes.
In response, Iran reportedly launched missiles hours later, with impacts reported in parts of the Gulf region, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain.
Regional tensions have since intensified, with Iran vowing to retaliate for the killing of its Supreme Leader. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump was quoted as saying it was “too late” for Iran to pursue talks to avoid further conflict.
