Iran on Sunday signaled that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would succeed his father as the supreme leader, a move that comes amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. The announcement was made by Ayatollah Hosseinali Eshkevari, a member of the clerical council responsible for electing the next leader, who stated in a video that ‘the vote has been cast and will be announced soon.’ This development follows a wave of Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Tehran, which triggered black smoke and flames across the capital.

Escalating Conflict and Casualties

The Israeli military confirmed that it had struck fuel depots in Tehran, which it described as ‘legal military targets’ used to fuel Iran’s war effort. The strikes occurred during the ninth day of what has been dubbed a U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. Thick black smoke filled the skies over Tehran, with residents reporting plumes of orange flame lighting up the night. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called the attack a ‘dangerous new phase’ of the conflict and labeled it a war crime, citing the release of hazardous materials into the air.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would continue the assault, vowing to strike Iran’s rulers ‘without mercy.’ He added that Israel had an ‘organised plan with many surprises’ to destabilise the regime and enable change. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, saying that the United States should have a say in the selection of Iran’s next leader. ‘If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long,’ Trump told ABC News.

Iranian Drone Strikes Across Gulf States

Iranian drone attacks have spread across Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain reporting incidents. In Kuwait, a government office block was engulfed in a huge fire, resulting in the deaths of two officers. The UAE reported four migrant workers killed in Iranian attacks, with air defenses intercepting 16 ballistic missiles and 113 drones. One missile fell into the sea, while four drones struck the country’s territories.

Bahrain reported that an Iranian drone attack had caused ‘material damage’ to a desalination plant, marking the first time an Arab country has publicly stated that Iran targeted a desalination facility. In Saudi Arabia, two people were killed and 12 injured after a projectile hit a residential area in Al-Kharj city. Riyadh has warned Tehran that continued attacks on the kingdom’s energy sector could prompt retaliation.

Lebanon has also become a battleground, as Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel. Nearly 400 people have been killed in Israel over the past week, according to the country’s health ministry. On Sunday, Israeli forces struck a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and targeting what it called Iranian commanders operating in the city.

Selection of New Supreme Leader

Two Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Mojtaba Khamenei, who has built influence within Iran’s security forces and vast business networks, is the clear favorite to succeed his father. Choosing him would signal that hardliners remain in control of the regime. The U.S. and Israel have discussed sending special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to Axios, citing unnamed sources.

Trump has justified the largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by asserting that Iran poses an ‘imminent threat’ to the United States. He has also claimed that Iran is ‘too close’ to developing a nuclear weapon, though no evidence has been provided. Asked about the possibility of sending ground troops to secure nuclear sites, Trump said such a move would only occur if Iran were ‘so decimated that they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level.’

According to Iran’s U.N. ambassador, the U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands. Iranian attacks have killed 10 people in Israel, with at least six U.S. service members killed. Iran claimed on Sunday that it had struck U.S. bases in Kuwait, while Israel reported that two of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon.