By Elsie Kamsiyochi
Iran appears to be on the verge of announcing a new supreme leader as fighting intensifies across the Middle East, with a senior Iranian cleric suggesting that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the country’s long-serving leader, could soon take control of the Islamic Republic’s highest office.
The comments came from Ayatollah Hosseinali Eshkevari, a member of Iran’s powerful clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s top leader. Speaking in a video circulated by Iranian media, Eshkevari indicated that the vote to choose the next supreme leader had already taken place and that an official announcement could come soon.
“The name of Khamenei will continue,” he said, hinting that Mojtaba Khamenei — a hardline cleric closely aligned with the conservative power structure built by his father — may be poised to inherit the position that holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military, and religious institutions.
The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member council of senior clerics, is responsible for selecting and supervising the supreme leader. If Mojtaba Khamenei is confirmed, it would represent a rare instance in modern Iranian history where leadership effectively passes within the same family, reinforcing the dominance of hardline factions within the Islamic Republic.
Rising Tensions With the United States
The possible appointment could also deepen tensions with the United States. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has taken an aggressive stance during the current conflict, has publicly suggested that Washington should have a say in determining Iran’s next leader — a proposal that Tehran has firmly rejected.
Trump recently said he was not seeking negotiations to end the war and suggested the conflict could continue until Iran’s leadership is completely defeated.
“At some point, there may be nobody left to even say ‘we surrender,’” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, signaling that the United States remains committed to an uncompromising military strategy.
Israeli Strikes Ignite Fires Over Tehran
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued to expand their military campaign against Iran, launching new strikes on strategic infrastructure near the capital. Residents of Tehran reported seeing thick black smoke rising above the city after oil storage facilities were hit overnight, lighting up the sky with massive flames.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, calling it a dangerous escalation and accusing Israel and its allies of committing a war crime by targeting fuel depots that could release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned that the strikes risk exposing civilians to hazardous substances.
Israeli officials defended the operation, arguing that the facilities were legitimate military targets because they supplied fuel used in Iran’s missile program and other military operations. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the depots were directly linked to the country’s war effort.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the campaign would continue and suggested more unexpected attacks were coming.
“We have an organised plan with many surprises to destabilise the regime and enable change,” Netanyahu said in a video address.
Conflict Spreads Across the Gulf
As the war entered its ninth day, the violence continued to spread beyond Iran and Israel, pulling more countries in the region into the conflict.
Iran launched drone and missile attacks across several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
In Kuwait, a massive fire engulfed a government office building after an Iranian strike, killing two police officers and causing widespread damage. The UAE reported that four migrant workers had died in attacks on its territory, while its air defense systems intercepted dozens of incoming missiles and more than one hundred drones.
Bahrain also reported that an Iranian drone had struck a desalination facility — the first time such infrastructure has been targeted during the conflict — though authorities said water supplies were not disrupted.
Saudi Arabia reported casualties as well, after a projectile struck a residential neighborhood in the city of Al-Kharj, killing two people and injuring twelve others. Officials in Riyadh have reportedly warned Tehran that continued attacks on Saudi territory or its energy sector could trigger retaliation.
Lebanon Drawn Into the War
The fighting has also spilled into Lebanon. The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has launched rockets and drones into Israel, prompting a fierce Israeli response.
Israeli airstrikes have killed nearly 400 people in Lebanon over the past week, according to the country’s health ministry. On Sunday, Israel carried out a strike on a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people. Israeli officials said the target was Iranian commanders operating inside the city.
It marked one of the first attacks on the heart of the Lebanese capital during the conflict.
Heavy Casualties on All Sides
The war has already produced heavy casualties. According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have been killed, with thousands more injured in U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed at least ten people in Israel. The United States has confirmed the deaths of six American service members during the conflict, while Israel says two of its soldiers were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon.
Nuclear Concerns and Possible Ground Operations
The United States has justified its military campaign by claiming that Iran was nearing the ability to produce a nuclear weapon and posed an imminent threat. However, Washington has not publicly provided detailed evidence supporting those claims.
Reports suggest that U.S. and Israeli officials have discussed the possibility of sending special forces into Iran to secure stockpiles of highly enriched uranium later in the war.
Trump indicated that such an operation could happen if Iran’s military is sufficiently weakened.
A Critical Moment for Iran
If Mojtaba Khamenei ultimately becomes Iran’s next supreme leader, it would signal continuity rather than change within the country’s ruling system. Analysts say the decision could reinforce the power of hardline factions that dominate Iran’s security forces and religious institutions.
However, the leadership transition is unfolding amid one of the most dangerous military confrontations in the region in decades — a conflict that now stretches from Tehran to Beirut and across the Gulf.
With attacks escalating and diplomatic options fading, the coming days could determine not only who leads Iran next, but also how far the war spreads across the Middle East.
Source Reuters
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