TehranIranian state TV reported early on Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's late supreme leader, has been named his successor. This is a big change in the war that started a little over a week ago with his father's death. Before the war started, the younger Khamenei was already thought to be a candidate for the job, even though he had never been elected or appointed to a government post. He had not been seen or heard from in public since the war started.
His appointment comes after there were signs that Iranian officials were not getting along.His appointment came after there were signs of a split among Iranian officials while the country waited for the Assembly of Experts, a group of clerics that chooses the supreme leader, to make a decision. The assembly's statement on state TV said he was chosen because of "strong" votes and asked the people to support him.
Scenes of people celebrating in various parts of Tehran were shown on the station. Since the Islamic Revolution nearly fifty years ago, there has only been one other change in the position of supreme leader.
The 56-year-old Khamenei, a reclusive individual, is now at the center of Iran's theocracy and will have the last word on all matters of state. He will lead the Revolutionary Guard, a formidable paramilitary group. Additionally, if he decides to do so, he has control over a stockpile of highly-enriched uranium that could be used to create a nuclear weapon.
The US is likely to criticize Khamenei's selection.The United States is likely to criticize Khamenei's choice. "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me," stated US President Donald Trump. "We are looking for someone who can bring peace and harmony to Iran."
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the White House. A new leader "is not going to last long" without Trump's consent, he told ABC News on Sunday.
The Revolutionary Guard of Iran released a statement endorsingHowever, both the Iran-backed militant organization Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran's Revolutionary Guard released statements endorsing the cause. Speaking to state TV, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani commended the Assembly of Experts for "courageously" meeting despite ongoing airstrikes in Tehran. He claimed that the younger Khamenei "can handle this situation" because he had received training from his father.
Anger in the area increases as oil prices surpass $100 per barrel. Oil depots in Tehran smoldered after overnight Israeli strikes, and Bahrain accused Iran of attacking a desalination plant essential to drinking water supplies, adding to the war's toll on civilian targets.
Crude prices have risen above $100 per barrel for the first time in over three and a half years as the conflict hinders the region's oil production and transportation. Due to the risks in the Strait of Hormuz, some regional producers, including those in Iraq, have reduced their output.
The head of the Arab League attacked Iran for its "reckless policy" of attacking neighbors, including those that host US forces, in an indication of growing regional resentment. Since the war began on February 28, hundreds of missiles and drones have attacked Gulf nations.
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