Agreement on next Supreme Leader in Iran, Israel threatens to kill successor

Iran's Assembly of Experts has almost reached a consensus on the name of the new successor to fill the vacancy left after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Iranian news agency Fars, council member Ayatollah Mohammad Mahdi Mirbagheri confirmed that "great efforts" have been made to determine the leadership and a "decisive and unanimous opinion" has been established.

However, due to security reasons and difficult circumstances, the official announcement of the new leader's name has not been made yet. Another member of the council, Hojatolislam Jafari, said that the delay in selecting the third Supreme Leader is unexpected for everyone, but the results will be out soon. It is clear that this 88-member council is constitutionally authorized to elect Iran's Supreme Leader.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who ruled for 37 years, died on February 28 in a US-Israeli attack in Tehran. A week after his death, Iran had not been able to elect a leader in his place, and instead, the command of the country was handed over to a three-member committee. This delay has also caused dissatisfaction among some groups in Iran. These people believe that there must be a face for leadership, especially to maintain the morale of the military in times of war.

On the other hand, Israel has directly warned the possible new Supreme Leader of Iran and those involved in his election of military action. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday that Israel's "long arm" will pursue Khamenei's successor and anyone who appoints him. The IDF warned, "We will not hesitate to target you. Consider this a warning."

Although the official name has not been announced yet, several names have come up according to experts and international analysts for this powerful position. The first name is Ayatollah Mohammad Mahdi Mirbagheri, who is an influential member of the Assembly of Experts and a key leader in the country. His active stance in recent video messages and his announcement of a "unanimous opinion" have established him as the strongest candidate in this race. He is considered a hardliner of Khamenei's ideology.

The second name is Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the second son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Although leadership is not hereditary in Iran, he has a deep influence in religious and military circles, especially in the Revolutionary Guards (Revolutionary Guards). He has played a key role in running power from behind the scenes for a long time.

The third name is Ali Reza Arafi, who is the head of Iran's seminaries and a member of the Assembly of Experts. He is identified as a serious scholar and an experienced leader who has the ability to balance between different factions. In addition, the name of Hojatolislam Jafari is also coming up, who is a member of this council and has recently appealed to the public for "patience". His name is being discussed as a "consensus" candidate who can bring stability to the country in these difficult times.

It is clear that after Israel's recent threats, the election process has been kept extremely secret due to security reasons. The appointment of the new Supreme Leader will not only determine Iran's internal politics but also the direction of the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States.

After Mr. Trump's response, Iran issued a clarification in the late evening, stating that it intends to destroy US military bases in the Gulf countries. It said, "Iran's defensive action is specifically against those bases and facilities that are the source of aggressive actions against Iran, and we consider them our legitimate targets. We have not attacked our friends and neighbors, but have targeted US military bases, facilities, and infrastructure in the region."

An emergency meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers will be held on Sunday to consider the growing tension in the Gulf region and alleged Iranian attacks on several Arab countries. The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, announced this during the week, saying that the important meeting will be held via video conference. According to Mr. Zaki, the request for the emergency meeting was made jointly by key member states, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt. The main agenda of the meeting is to review the recent attacks targeting the sovereignty and security of Gulf countries and to establish a unified Arab stance in this regard.

Earlier, the Iranian military had admitted that it had launched missiles and drones targeting US military bases in Bahrain and Qatar. However, it denied reports of a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The authorities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) clarified that the strategic waterway is open under international law, but warned that US and Israeli ships would be considered military targets.

Iranian attacks have affected air traffic in Western Asia, and operations at busy airports like Dubai have been impacted. On the weekend, flight operations were suspended for several hours at Dubai Airport due to multiple drone attacks. As a result, the region's leading airline, Emirates, has suspended its flight operations.

The Qatari Ministry of Defense has also confirmed the failure of a ballistic missile attack, and a security alert has been issued in Doha, advising people to stay indoors. Qatar Airways has announced that it plans to operate flights from London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Frankfurt, and Bangkok to Doha's Hamad International Airport. The decision was made after receiving temporary permission from the Qatar Aviation Authority.

The Bahraini military reported that it had shot down several missiles and drones since the attacks began. Saudi Arabia has also claimed to have destroyed 16 drones approaching its vast Shaybah oil field on the weekend.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched intense airstrikes on several key military targets in Tehran and central Iran early on the weekend. The targets included an underground ballistic missile factory and a large military academy. According to the IDF, over 80 warplanes participated in the operation, and around 230 bombs were dropped on the designated targets.

The Israeli military said that the main targets of the attacks included a large underground facility used to store and manufacture ballistic missiles. Hundreds of Iranian military personnel were working at the facility. The military claims that the site had several government bunkers and important military headquarters.

The IDF also destroyed another missile storage facility, which included bunkers and launching structures. The military academy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Imam Hussein University, was also targeted. According to Israel, the university was being used as an emergency base for the IRGC during the war. The Israeli attack damaged the nearby Mehran Airport.

As the war enters a new phase, the Israeli military has adopted a strategy of intensifying attacks on weapons production centers across Iran. This particularly targets centers where missiles and launchers are manufactured.

Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Irani, said that at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have been killed and thousands injured in US-Israeli airstrikes so far. Speaking to journalists at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Mr. Amir Saeed Irani cited the Iranian Red Crescent Society, saying that the dead include women and children. He said that over 180 children have been killed and more than 20 schools have been damaged across the country.