Leadership change in Tehran comes during intensifying Iran-US-Israel conflict as global oil prices surge past $100
DUBAI/JERUSALEM: Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent military strikes, marking a dramatic leadership transition as regional conflict intensifies.
The decision was announced early Monday after Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the nation’s supreme leader voted to elevate the influential cleric to the powerful post.
Mojtaba Khamenei, long viewed as a key figure within Iran’s political establishment and closely connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), now assumes sweeping authority over the country’s political system, armed forces and strategic institutions.
Iranian state media reported that senior military commanders quickly pledged allegiance to the new leader, with the IRGC declaring full support as the country faces escalating military pressure.
The leadership shift comes amid expanding hostilities involving the United States and Israel. Recent strikes targeted energy infrastructure near Tehran, while Iran has launched retaliatory attacks across the region. U.S. officials said a seventh American service member has died from injuries sustained in earlier Iranian strikes.
Meanwhile, global energy markets reacted sharply. Oil prices surged on Monday as fears of supply disruptions gripped investors.
U.S. crude futures jumped more than 20%, while Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, triggering declines in stock futures across Asia and the United States.
Despite international calls for de-escalation, both sides continue exchanging strikes, raising concerns that the conflict could expand and further destabilize global energy markets.
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