Iran is preparing to announce a new supreme leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Israeli airstrikes targeted fuel facilities in Tehran, igniting massive fires that sent thick, toxic smoke across the capital.
Nine days after U.S.-backed Israeli strikes on Khamenei’s compound killed the long-time leader and plunged the Middle East into a widening conflict, Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts convened in a closed-door meeting on Sunday to select his successor.
Members of the clerical body confirmed that a decision had been reached but declined to reveal the name of the chosen candidate, saying an official announcement would be made soon. However, some insiders suggested that Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could be named to succeed his father.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly demanded a role in the process, while Israel’s military issued a stark warning to Iran’s next leader, saying it would not hesitate to target any successor it considers a threat.
Iran swiftly rejected such pressure. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that the decision regarding the country’s leadership rests solely with Iran.
“The Islamic Republic will allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs,” Araghchi said, adding that Trump should “apologise to the people of the region and the Iranian people for the killings and destruction.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, widely viewed as a hardline conservative, is believed to wield considerable influence within Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — the powerful ideological arm of the country’s military.
Tehran Choked by Smoke After Fuel Depot Strikes
Israel’s military reach was further demonstrated overnight through fresh operations targeting fuel depots in and around Tehran, as well as a separate strike on a hotel in central Beirut believed to be housing suspected Iranian commanders.
Israeli warplanes reportedly struck five oil facilities near the Iranian capital, killing at least four people, according to a state oil executive.
Tehran’s governor confirmed to the IRNA news agency that fuel distribution across the capital had been “temporarily disrupted” following the attacks.
A heavy, dark haze blanketed the city of roughly 10 million residents, blocking sunlight as the smell of burning fuel lingered across neighborhoods.
Authorities warned residents that the fumes could be toxic and advised them to remain indoors. Several buildings also suffered shattered windows due to the powerful explosions.
“The blaze has been burning for more than 12 hours. The air has become unbreathable. I can’t even step outside to do basic shopping,” a 35-year-old Tehran resident said in a message sent to Europe.
She admitted that she initially supported the conflict and even celebrated Khamenei’s death with friends.
“But since yesterday, everything feels different,” she said. “People say there’s no gasoline left at the stations.”
Missile Strikes Continue Across the Region
As the war entered its ninth day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they possess enough weapons stockpiles to sustain their missile and drone campaign across the Middle East for up to six months.
Explosions were reported over Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv after the Israeli military detected a new barrage of Iranian missiles. Emergency services said at least six people were injured in central Israel.
Iranian military officials warned that the country has so far deployed only first- and second-generation missiles but may soon escalate by launching “advanced and less-used long-range missiles.”
The conflict is increasingly drawing in neighboring states.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted several drones heading toward targets including Riyadh’s diplomatic district. Kuwait reported that an attack struck fuel storage tanks at its international airport, while Bahrain said one of its desalination plants was damaged.
Iran’s Health Ministry reported that at least 1,200 civilians have been killed and about 10,000 wounded since the war began, though the figures could not be independently verified.
In Lebanon, the health minister said Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 394 people since the country became involved in the conflict a week ago, including 83 children and 42 women.
Israel also confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, President Trump attended a ceremony marking the return of the bodies of six American service members who were killed in a drone strike on a U.S. military base in Kuwait last Sunday.
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