Mojtaba Khamenei Named Supreme Leader as War Iran Israel Escalates Oil Prices
Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s new supreme leader after the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes, and Israeli forces struck Tehran while crude oil jumped past $100 a barrel. Sunday at 9: 14 a. m. ET — the appointment deepens the war iran israel and prompted market shocks and regional evacuations.
War Iran Israel: Mojtaba Khamenei Confirmed by Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of elected senior clerics tasked with choosing the supreme leader, selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the state-run announcements said. Iran’s president, military and police pledged allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei in the immediate aftermath, signaling consolidation of domestic authority after the battlefield death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel Strikes Tehran and Hezbollah Zones in Beirut
Israeli military statements said it began a wave of attacks in central Iran and also struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut, and a loud explosion was heard in Beirut’s southern suburbs where plumes of smoke were seen rising. Lebanon’s health ministry said the number killed by Israeli airstrikes in the past week rose to 394, including many women and children, and the area hit is described as a Hezbollah stronghold from which civilians had been ordered to evacuate.
ASX 200 Falls as Oil Tops $100 and US Troop Deaths Rise
Global oil prices surged past $100 a barrel, pushing markets lower: Australian shares plunged, wiping about $13 billion from the value of the ASX midway through trading and sending the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 down roughly 4% and below the 8, 500-point mark. The oil spike—driven by the unfolding conflict—coincided with reports that another US military service member died from wounds sustained during Iran’s counter-attack, bringing the US military death toll in the conflict to seven.
Regional Fallout: Saudi Deaths and Evacuations Reported
Saudi authorities reported at least two deaths amid Iranian counterattacks and said they foiled several missile and drone attacks on the capital, an airbase and an oilfield. The US Department of State has ordered the departure of nonemergency government employees and family members of all workers from Saudi Arabia, citing safety risks tied to the expanding military campaign.
President Donald Trump told News that Iran’s new leader “is not going to last long” unless approved by the United States, and he wrote that “only fools would think differently” about short-term oil-price pain tied to the campaign. The comments came as the conflict pushed crude above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, a level that spooked investors and traders in multiple markets.
No further public briefings with a set time have been announced by officials; clarity is expected when Iran’s Assembly of Experts, U. S. military authorities, or regional governments issue their next statements — no time given ET.
