No end to war in sight as Iran names new supreme leader, fighting continues

The war in the Middle East showed no signs of ending on Sunday as Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, while fighting with the United States and Israel intensified and both sides signaled preparations for a prolonged conflict.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric born in 1969 with strong influence within Iran's security establishment, had long been viewed as a leading contender to succeed his father. The Assembly of Experts – an 88-member body of clerics responsible for selecting the supreme leader – confirmed the decision in a statement issued shortly after midnight Tehran time.

"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Assembly said in the statement.

Shortly after the announcement, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged allegiance to the new leader, declaring its readiness to carry out his instructions.

The appointment is likely to heighten tensions with Washington. US President Donald Trump said earlier that it would be "unacceptable" for Mojtaba to assume the role, telling US outlet Axios on Thursday that he must be personally involved in the process of selecting Iran's next leader. Trump also warned that if Iran chose a successor who continued Ali Khamenei's policies, the United States could return to war "within five years."

Speaking again on Sunday, Trump insisted that Washington should have a say in the selection. "If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," he told ABC News.

Israel had also issued warnings ahead of the decision. The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that it would "pursue any successor to Ali Khamenei," adding that all participants in the assembly could be treated as potential targets.

US, Israel divided over strikes on Iranian fuel facilities

The leadership change came as fighting intensified in the region. On Sunday, the ninth day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, thick black smoke hung over parts of Tehran after overnight strikes hit oil storage facilities, according to a China Media Group correspondent in Tehran.

Israel's air force carried out attacks on around 30 fuel storage sites across Iran on Saturday, igniting fires at multiple oil depots in Tehran, the correspondent said.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the facilities were used to support Iran's war effort, including producing or storing propellant for ballistic missiles. "They are a legal military target," Shoshani said.

People familiar with the matter said Israel informed Washington ahead of the operation, but the United States was surprised by the scale of the strikes.

A senior US official said Washington believed the move was "not a good idea," warning that attacks on civilian infrastructure could backfire strategically by rallying Iranian public support for the government while also pushing up global oil prices.

Iran condemned the strikes. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the large-scale attack marked a "dangerous new phase" of the conflict and amounted to a war crime.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters also urged Muslim countries in the region to prevent further US and Israeli attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure. Spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari accused Washington and Tel Aviv of "brutally" targeting Iran's energy facilities and public service centers and killing civilians. He warned that Tehran would respond with similar actions if such strikes continued.

"Otherwise, similar actions will be taken in the region. If you can tolerate oil prices above $200 per barrel, keep playing this game," he said.

Signs conflict could drag on

Iran has signaled that it is preparing for a prolonged conflict. The IRGC said in a statement on Sunday that it had struck and destroyed four radar systems belonging to the US-deployed THAAD missile defense system in the Middle East over the past 24 hours. Satellite images released by the IRGC showed that an AN/TPY-2 radar associated with the system was attacked.

IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran's armed forces could sustain high-intensity combat at the current pace for at least six months. He added that Iran has prepared for a large-scale and long-term war, equipping itself with heavy missiles, ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and attack vessels.

According to Naini, Iran is currently using first- and second-generation missiles but plans to introduce new attack methods in the coming days, including advanced long-range missiles that have rarely been deployed.

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Tehran's broader strategic objective is to force the United States to completely withdraw from the Middle East and close its military bases in the region.

Meanwhile, developments elsewhere in the region also suggest growing military mobilization. South Korean media reported that large US transport aircraft have recently departed from Osan Air Base in South Korea.

At least two C-5 transport planes arrived at the base in late February and left on February 28 and March 2, respectively. The US military has not disclosed their destination, but flight records show the aircraft traveled for more than 14 hours, indicating they may have headed to the United States or the Middle East.

The C-5 aircraft are capable of transporting heavy equipment such as Patriot missile defense systems, raising speculation that some systems may have been redeployed from South Korea.

Trump on Sunday also said he had not ruled out sending special forces to seize Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles, adding that "all options are on the table.”

Asked how long the war could last, Trump declined to give a prediction. He had earlier suggested the conflict might continue for four to five weeks.