No end to war in sight as Iran names new supreme leader, fighting continues
2026-03-10 09:40:15 source：CGTN
March 9, 2026
The war in the Middle East showed no signs of ending on Sunday as Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, while fighting with the United States and Israel intensified and both sides signaled preparations for a prolonged conflict.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric born in 1969 with strong influence within Iran's security establishment, had long been viewed as a leading contender to succeed his father. The Assembly of Experts – an 88-member body of clerics responsible for selecting the supreme leader – confirmed the decision in a statement issued shortly after midnight Tehran time.
"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Assembly said in the statement.
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