Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in a targeted airstrike on his compound on February 28.

The operation was carried out by Israel after months of intelligence gathering by both Israel and the United States.

The strike also killed dozens of senior officials within the Iranian government and caused major damage to the ayatollah’s residence.

Following Khamenei's death,President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that Iran's next leader "is not going to last long" without his approval.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump stated that any successor would require US approval, emphasizing the need to prevent future interventions every decade.

Trump said he wants to avoid a situation where the United States would have to return in five years to deal with the same problems again, or even face an Iran that has developed a nuclear weapon.

He also said he would consider supporting a new leader who still has connections to the previous regime.

As an example, he mentioned Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela, adding that there are many people who could potentially take on such a role.

The Trump administration gave several reasons for carrying out the military strikes.

President Donald Trump claimed that Iran was trying to dominate the Middle East, but said U.S. actions had weakened those plans and turned Iran into what he described as a “paper tiger.”

He warned that just a week earlier, Iran had been in a strong position and could have launched attacks across the region.

The administration also argued that the action was necessary to counter Iran’s support for militant groups such as Hamas and the Houthi Movement, and to stop Iran from quickly developing nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles that could eventually reach the United States.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel was already preparing to take action against Iran, and that this could have led to attacks on American forces.

According to Rubio, acting earlier helped reduce the risk of greater U.S. casualties.

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Ali Khamenei, was announced as Iran’s new Supreme Leader by Iranian state television on Sunday.

Mojtaba, who has never held an official government position, was chosen by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member religious council responsible for appointing the country’s top leader.

As Supreme Leader, he will control Iran’s armed forces, appoint senior military commanders, select the head of the judiciary, and have the final authority over the country’s military and war decisions.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has already pledged loyalty to him.

Mojtaba is expected to continue the hardline policies associated with his father.

Reports suggest he supports Iran developing nuclear weapons, which would differ from his father’s religious ruling that opposed them.

Known for being very private, Mojtaba rarely appears in public and is not known for delivering speeches, leaving many Iranians unfamiliar with his voice or public style.

His appointment came during a tense period in Iran’s leadership.

After the death of Ali Khamenei, a temporary three-member council including President Masoud Pezeshkian, briefly managed the country.

Pezeshkian had earlier sparked controversy by apologizing to neighboring countries for Iranian bombing raids and promising to avoid attacking them if they did not host U.S. or Israeli military bases.

However, hardline clerics and military leaders quickly contradicted him and continued attacks across the Gulf.

The appointment has drawn strong international reactions. U.S.

President Donald Trump criticized the decision, saying Mojtaba’s leadership was “unacceptable” and calling for a leader who would bring peace to Iran.

Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz warned that any Iranian leader threatening Israel or its allies could become a target for assassination.

Interestingly, reports say that before his death, Ali Khamenei had privately listed three possible successors; Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, Ali Asghar Hejazi, and Hassan Khomeini but his son was not among them.

Despite staying largely behind the scenes, Mojtaba has long been considered influential within Iran’s political system.

A classified U.S. State Department briefing released by WikiLeaks in 2008 described him as someone who operated in his father’s shadow but controlled access to him and was seen by insiders as a strong and capable figure.

Born in Mashhad in 1969, Mojtaba fought in the Iran–Iraq War and has since reportedly built significant wealth through various assets and investments.

Meanwhile, tensions in the region continue to grow.

Trump said that “everything is on the table,” including the possibility of sending special forces to seize Iran’s enriched uranium. U.S. officials claim Iran could potentially produce weapon-grade nuclear material within about ten days.

Despite the deaths of six American soldiers, Trump said the conflict would continue and claimed the United States was achieving major military successes.

He also dismissed rising global oil prices caused by Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as only a minor problem.