Down for the count Israel bombs Iran’s top mullahs as they count tally for next supreme leader
The Israeli Air Force launched the attack during a meeting of senior clerics to vote for Ali Khamenei’s replacement as Supreme Leader. X/etelaf10
The Israeli Air Force struck a key Iranian meeting on Wednesday, targeting a gathering of Tehran’s senior clerics who were reportedly selecting a replacement for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, multiple reports said.
The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, was allegedly convened in the city of Qom when the overnight airstrike hit their building, according to the Times of Israel. Fox News reported that the attack occurred as votes were being counted to appoint Khamenei’s successor.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency later stated that the targeted building was an old structure no longer used for assembly meetings.
Hours after the strike, the assembly reportedly named Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, as the new supreme leader, Iran International reported. Mojtaba was among 40 top Iranian officials targeted during the first 48 hours of the war, though reports conflict on whether he survived. Known for his strict adherence to his father’s hardline policies, Mojtaba maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to CNN.
It remains unclear how many assembly members were inside the building at the time. Viral images from Qom show the structure left in ruins. While the building was “flattened,” no casualties have been confirmed, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Following Khamenei’s death on Saturday, Iran’s leadership faced immediate uncertainty. The country’s constitution requires the Assembly of Experts to choose a new supreme leader as quickly as possible. Officials told Reuters that the body might delay naming a successor to avoid him being immediately targeted by Israel or the US.
Until a new leader is officially confirmed, Iran is being run by a temporary three-person council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, the Guardian Council’s representative.
Potential successors include Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the parliament speaker known for his anti-American rhetoric.
The airstrike came as the Israeli Air Force deployed roughly 100 fighter jets to drop more than 250 bombs on a “leadership complex” north of Qom, targeting Tehran’s presidential bureau, the Supreme National Security Council headquarters, and other leadership compounds, according to the IDF.
“The leadership complex of the terror regime is one of the most secured assets in Iran,” the IDF said. “Leadership and security officials frequently convened there to conduct assessments on Iran’s nuclear program and plans against Israel.”
US officials estimate that at least 47 Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, were killed during the first 48 hours of the war. The US has struck around 1,700 targets during the first 72 hours, according to US Central Command. Israel reported dropping approximately 4,000 bombs on Iran as of Tuesday night.
Retaliatory attacks have spread across the region, with Iran and its proxies targeting US forces and allies. Recent assaults include missiles and drones hitting the US consulate in Dubai and the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, causing limited fires. An Iranian drone strike at a US base in Kuwait killed at least six American troops and injured 18 others.
The US State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel and families from several Middle Eastern cities, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, and the UAE.
President Trump has reportedly been in discussions with Kurdish leaders in Iraq regarding the conflict and potential next steps, sources told Axios. Iraqi Kurds have close ties to Iran’s Kurdish minority, and some have previously formed opposition groups operating inside Iran. US officials have not publicly commented on these communications.
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