Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a March 4 post on X that whoever is appointed to replace deceased Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “will be an unequivocal target for elimination.”
“[Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and I have instructed the IDF to prepare and act by all means to carry out the mission as an integral part of the objectives of Operation ‘Lion’s Roar,’” Katz said, using Israel’s term for the military offensive against Iran and its proxies.
Operation Lion’s Roar is being conducted alongside Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. operation initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 28.
“We will continue to act with full force, together with our American partners, to crush the regime’s capabilities and create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow it and replace it,” Katz added.
On March 3, Israel targeted a building in Qom associated with Iran’s Assembly of Experts, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency. According to Tasnim, the building was empty at the time.
The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member assembly tasked with selecting a new so-called supreme leader, after 86-year-old Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28.
Khamenei ruled Iran for 37 years, succeeding Ruhollah Khomeini, who served as the first supreme leader following the 1979 Islamic Revolution until his death in 1989.
The supreme leader has the final say on all major decisions in Iran, including on war and the country’s nuclear program.
Khamenei banned the development of nuclear weapons in a fatwa, or religious edict, in the early 2000s. He reiterated that in 2019, saying that building and stockpiling nuclear bombs was “wrong and using it is haram,” or religiously forbidden.
Contenders to replace him include Mojtaba Khamenei, the former leader’s son. Mojtaba Khamenei is a mid-level Shiite cleric who has strong ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. He has never held office, and his selection could prove difficult as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule.
Another contender is Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi, who is a senior Shiite cleric and member of the provisional government council. He was chosen by Khamenei to be a member of the Guardian Council in 2019 and was elected to the Assembly of Experts three years later.
On March 4, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts, said in comments aired on state television that Iran is close to choosing a new supreme leader.
“The options have become clear,” Khatami said.
Israel Launches Fresh Strikes Against Iran, Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X on March 4 that it launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran.
The IDF said that a series of strikes had taken place against the Basij branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and internal security command centers in Tehran.
“The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran,” the IDF said, adding that it had also hit missile launchers and other systems.
Israel also struck Lebanon, it said, in retaliation against attacks from Hezbollah militants.
IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that people in the southern part of Lebanon should evacuate, as Israel would be striking Hezbollah targets in the area.
Guy Birchall, Ryan Morgan, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
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