Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader after his father, Khamenei, was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack on February 28, state media announced early Monday.
Israel’s onslaught against Iran has entered a new phase, targeting the country’s energy resources, including fuel storage facilities.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks on U.S.-friendly Gulf states continued Sunday, even though President Massoud Pezeshkian apologized for past attacks on the oil-producing nation and signaled he would stop them.
Here’s what you need to know on day 9.
What are the main headings?
Khamenei Dynasty: Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader on Monday. He was chosen by the 88-member Iran Experts Council, a group of elected senior clerics tasked with selecting the supreme leader. Parliament has elected a new leader only once since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. Ali Khamenei was hastily elected after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini more than 30 years ago. Parliament called on Iranians to “pledge loyalty to the leadership and remain united.” Mojtaba Khamenei held no official role in the government, but is known for his strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Iranian oil targeted: Israel attacks Iranian oil storage facilities as part of the next phase of the war. CNN reporters in Tehran witnessed black rain falling over the city on Sunday morning.
Massive attacks: The Israeli military announced late Sunday that it had launched “major” attacks against Iranian regime targets in Tehran and “additional areas” of the country. The military said it also attacked the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) aerospace unit.
Gulf attacks continue: Persian Gulf states reported airstrikes and interceptions Sunday morning. In Saudi Arabia, a military projectile crashed into a residential facility, killing two people and injuring 12 others, the Saudi Civil Defense Authority said. This is the first death reported inside Saudi Arabia since the war began.
U.S. service member killed: One U.S. service member has died from injuries sustained in Iran’s first attack across the Middle East, making it the seventh U.S. service member to die since the conflict began, according to U.S. Central Command.
What is happening in Iran and Lebanon?
Focus on Gulf states: Iran uses more firepower against neighboring Gulf states than it does targeting Israel, with an Revolutionary Guards spokesperson saying Iran uses 60% of its offensive capacity to attack US assets in the Middle East and 40% to shelling Israeli regime targets. “We believe that the main enemy in this war is the American people, and for this reason they will be given priority punishment,” the spokesperson said.
More than 1,200 dead: At least 1,205 civilians have been killed in Iran since the conflict began last Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The total number of children included 194 as of 5 p.m. ET Saturday, HRANA said.
Beirut center hit: At least four people were killed and 10 injured in an Israeli attack on a hotel in central Beirut, Reuters reported early Sunday, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The attack specifically hit central Beirut rather than the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. At least 394 people have been killed across Lebanon since Israel began attacking the country earlier this week, according to the Health Ministry.
Iris Dena sinking: Iran said last week’s U.S. attack on the Iranian warship Iris Dena killed at least 104 crew members and injured 32 others, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Sunday, citing official sources. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.
School strike: New footage has been released confirming a U.S. airstrike on a naval base next to an Iranian elementary school that killed more than 160 students last month, adding a body of evidence that contradicts President Trump’s recent claims blaming Iran.
Airstrikes continue: Persian Gulf states reported airstrikes and interceptions. Kuwait’s military said a “wave of hostile drones” targeted a fuel depot at Kuwait International Airport. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar also reported new airstrikes.
Israeli military casualties: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon early Sunday, the Israeli military said, marking the country’s first military deaths since the start of the war. Additionally, at least 14 Israeli soldiers have been injured in recent fighting across the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Travel disruption continues: As aviation disruption continues, some airlines in the Middle East have limited flight schedules, while others remain suspended. Thousands of people stranded in the region have been evacuated on repatriation flights in recent days.
Gas prices soaring: U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum insisted on Sunday that the rise in gas prices during the war with Iran is not due to a global oil shortage, but rather a “transportation problem” caused by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia Deaths: Two people were killed and 12 injured in Saudi Arabia when a military projectile crashed into a residential complex in al-Khalj, about 107 kilometers (66 miles) southeast of Riyadh, the Saudi Civil Defense Authority said. The incident marks the first death reported in Saudi Arabia since the war with Iran began.
President’s warning: President Trump said early Sunday that Iran’s new supreme leader “won’t last long” without his support. Before Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment was officially announced, President Trump said he considered his elevation to Iran’s supreme leader an “unacceptable” outcome. President Trump said, “I cannot accept Khamenei’s son. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
‘A little glitch’: President Trump has called rising gas prices a “little glitch,” seemingly unconcerned about the impact on Americans refueling. “We had to take this detour, and we knew exactly what was going to happen in that detour,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News.
