Airstrikes carried out by Israel and the United States on Tuesday, March 3, reportedly struck a building used by Iran’s powerful clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader.
According to Iranian media, the building belonged to the Assembly of Experts and is located in the religious city of Qom, south of Tehran. The development comes just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed during a wave of US–Israeli strikes on February 28.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that the building was targeted by what it described as “American-Zionist” forces. Footage aired by local media showed significant structural damage to the facility following the attack, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Assembly of Experts plays a central role in Iran’s political system. Under the country’s constitution, the body is responsible for appointing, supervising and, if necessary, dismissing the supreme leader.
Another Iranian outlet, Mehr News Agency, reported that the damaged structure had not recently been used for official meetings. Tasnim also stated that earlier strikes on Monday, March 2, had targeted the Assembly’s main headquarters in Tehran.
Following confirmation of Khamenei’s death, Iranian authorities announced on March 1 that the country had entered a formal transition period. Under the arrangement, an interim leadership council will temporarily oversee the government.
The council is expected to include the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, which supervises legislation and vets electoral candidates.
Senior political figure Ali Larijani is also expected to play a key role in managing the transition process.
The interim leadership structure will remain in place while the Assembly of Experts begins the process of selecting a permanent successor to the supreme leader, as tensions continue to rise amid ongoing military exchanges in the region.