Overview
- Iran’s Assembly of Experts announced the immediate selection of Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader and state institutions published pledges of allegiance, even as critics questioned the legality of the process and small protests were reported.
- The Israeli military said it targeted several IRGC Quds Force commanders in Beirut in a rare strike inside the capital, and later claimed to have killed senior Iranian figure Aboulqasem Babaeian in Tehran, a claim not confirmed by Iranian authorities.
- Lebanon’s health ministry reported rising deaths from the bombardment, while the IDF said it has killed about 200 Hezbollah fighters as cross-border attacks and strikes escalated.
- Ali Larijani accused the United States, Israel, and regional partners of seeking Iran’s partition, whereas Benjamin Netanyahu told Iranians Israel seeks to free their country rather than divide it.
- President Donald Trump ruled out sending armed Kurdish militias into Iran and warned Iran’s new leader would not endure without Washington’s approval, as the White House touted major degradation of Iranian forces and pressed for unconditional surrender, while Vladimir Putin voiced support for Mojtaba Khamenei and called for a halt to hostilities.