For the ninth day, the clashes continued in . The US and Israel continued the strikes on Iran and Lebanon, while at the same time Tehran responded with massive fire both in the Gulf countries and towards Tel Aviv.
During Sunday there was white smoke for Ali Khamenei’s successor. , the second son of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as Iran’s new supreme leader, according to state media.
nor has he been put to a public vote, but for decades he has been a highly influential figure in the supreme leader’s inner circle, cultivating close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The younger Khamenei, 56, has never publicly discussed the issue of succession, a sensitive issue given that his reinstatement as supreme leader would effectively create a dynasty reminiscent of the Pahlavi monarchy before the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Assembly of Experts calls on Iranians to pledge support for new leader Iran’s Assembly of Experts – the clerical body that just minutes ago named Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s next supreme leader – called on Iranians to maintain unity and pledge to support Khamenei.
In a statement released to state media, the assembly said Khamenei was elected by a “decisive vote.” In the same statement, the assembly called on all Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of seminaries and universities,” to “commit to supporting the leadership and maintaining unity.”
What does Khamenei’s choice mean?
Analysts say the selection of Mojtaba, a hardline cleric whose wife, mother and other family members were also killed in US and Israeli strikes, sends a clear message: Iran’s leadership has rejected any prospect of compromise to preserve the system and sees no other path but confrontation, revenge and endurance.
According to inside sources, Mojtamba will face enormous internal and external pressure from a disaffected population and an escalating conflict, but is expected to move quickly to consolidate his power. This will likely mean expanding the power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, tightening internal controls and a heavy crackdown on dissent.
“Mojtaba is even worse and more hard-line than his father,” said Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat and Iran expert, adding that he was the Guards’ preferred candidate. “He will have a lot to avenge.” This assessment carries risks. Israel has warned that any successor to Khamenei will also be targeted, while Trump has said the war can only end when Iran’s military leadership and ruling elite are eliminated.
The official Trump-Netanyahu reaction is expected
. Trump and Netanyahu said in advance that they would not be satisfied with this development. In his statements to Axios, he emphasized that the eventual selection of Mojtaba Khamenei was a waste of time. “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight, Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” he added. “We want something that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
In fact, on Sunday the American president sent a clear message to Tehran. “He’s going to have to get our approval,” Donald Trump told ABC News. “If he doesn’t get her, he won’t last long. We want to make sure we don’t have to go back to this situation every 10 years when there’s not a president like me to deal with it.”
He also added: “I don’t want in five years to have to do the same thing again or, even worse, let them get a nuclear weapon.”
When asked if he would endorse someone with ties to the old regime, Trump replied: “Yes, I could, if a good leader is going to be chosen. There are many people who could be considered suitable.’
Repeated strikes, the death toll rises
During Sunday we had strikes on both sides which increased the number of victims. . At the center of the strikes were headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards and fuel depots.
⭕️ The IDF can now reveal that the IRGC’s Air Force Headquarters, the main command-and-control center used to direct the regime’s air force activity, was targeted during wide-scale IDF strikes on dozens of Iranian terror regime targets.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF)
Tehran was covered in thick black smoke. At the same time, the IDF continued its strikes in Lebanon. According to official figures at least 12 people were killed in Beirut. In addition, four more died in the strikes in Tehran.
Iran responded with strikes on both Israel and other Gulf countries. Among others, four people died in the UAE after a drone strike.
The areas that Iran has hit. BBC
At the same time, the US announced that one more soldier had lost his life, bringing the number to seven.
Barrage of diplomatic contacts
From there on, there were many contacts during Sunday and at the diplomatic level. Donald Trump has been in contact with both Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron. The French president also spoke with Pezeskian, asking him to stop the strikes in the Gulf countries.
It is characteristic that the Prime Minister of Qatar in an interview characterized Iran’s attacks against the Gulf countries as a “dangerous misjudgment”. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned that the escalation of tension risks destabilizing the region and causing turmoil in the global economy.
Speaking to the media for the first time since Qatar came under repeated missile and drone attacks, the prime minister said the country had entered what he called “a very difficult period” but praised the professionalism of its defense and security forces.
“It’s a great feeling of betrayal,” he stressed initially and continued: “Just one hour after the start of the war, Qatar and other Gulf countries were attacked. We made it clear that we would not participate in any war against our neighbors.”
