Israeli bombs Iran’s Supreme Council meeting during vote to elect new leader

Israeli forces on Tuesday bombed Iran’s Supreme Council as the remnants of the Islamic Republic gathered to elect a new leader following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The meeting, of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, was taking place in Qom before it was struck.

Trey Yingst, Fox News reporter, posted on X that “Israel struck [a gathering of Iranian officials] while they were counting the votes for the appointment of the Supreme Leader.” He added, “The Israelis just struck the meeting of the Iranian Supreme Council where officials were gathering to choose a new Supreme Leader.”

The attack further disrupts Iran’s plan to appoint a successor after the first-day strike of Operation Epic Fury, launched by U.S. and Israeli forces on Saturday, which killed Khamenei. Airstrikes over the weekend reportedly killed at least 40 members of his regime.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump attributed Saturday’s attack to concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, stating that America would never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons.

In retaliation, Iran fired multiple missiles at U.S. bases in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, following the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.