Iran is expected to name a new Supreme Leader within the next 24 hours following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports from Iranian media on Saturday.
A member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Hossein Mozafari, disclosed that the body responsible for selecting the country’s top religious and political authority would soon convene to make the decision.
The development comes about a week after Khamenei was reportedly killed during a US-Israeli attack, an incident that has further intensified tensions across the Middle East.
Speaking to the Fars News Agency, Mozafari said the assembly made up of 88 clerics, would hold a meeting shortly to determine Khamenei’s successor.
“With divine assistance, this session will occur within the next twenty-four hours,” Mozafari stated.
However, he cautioned the public against speculation while the process was ongoing.
He urged Iranians to “refrain from any speculation and the spreading of rumours regarding this matter” since the assembly had not yet formally convened.
US condemns Iran’s drone strikes
Meanwhile, the United States has condemned Iran over a recent drone attack targeting an Azerbaijani border region.
Washington described the strike, which occurred earlier this week, as a “needless escalation” amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
According to the US State Department, the “unprovoked drone attack” carried out on Thursday struck an airport and a school in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran, leaving several civilians injured.
“These strikes are a flagrant violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and a needless escalation of Iran’s aggression,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
He added that attacks against US allies in the region would not be tolerated.
“Attacks on American partners in the region are unacceptable and will be met with resolute US support for those partners,” Pigott said.
Explosions reported in Iraq
At the same time, explosions were reported on Saturday night in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, and in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region.
Journalists from AFP said the cause of the explosions in Baghdad was not immediately known, though a witness near the fortified Green Zone, where the US embassy is located, reported seeing air defence systems activated.
Several drones have reportedly been intercepted near Baghdad airport since the Middle East war began.
In Erbil, witnesses reported hearing the sound of a drone followed by at least three loud explosions.
The city has seen repeated drone interceptions since the conflict escalated and hosts a major US consulate complex.
The latest developments highlight the widening regional tensions as the Middle East conflict continues to unfold.