2 hours ago
Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 20:52 IST
The strike reportedly targeted the Assembly of Experts in Qom, the 88-member clerical body tasked with choosing Iran’s next Supreme Leader.
The attack came days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, with footage showing heavy damage to the council’s premises. (IMAGE: X)
The Israeli Air Force struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom on Tuesday that housed the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s next Supreme Leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said. The Assembly of Experts is composed of 88 senior religious leaders empowered to choose the country’s top Shiite cleric.
Local media reported that Israeli and US strikes hit the building of the body tasked with electing the new leader. “The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom," south of Tehran, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said. Footage carried by local outlets showed the structure severely damaged.
The conflict started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend that killed the Iranian supreme leader, and showed no sign of abating as it entered its fourth day.
The Times of Israel also reported that the building housing the council set to elect Khamenei’s successor was among the targets struck in the latest wave of attacks. News18 has not independently verified videos circulating on social media showing the aftermath of the strike.
The Israeli Air Force has attacked the "Assembly of Experts" meeting in Qom, Iran as they were gathering to choose the new Supreme Leader. The council is comprised of 88 religious leaders from around Iran who choose the Ayatollah. pic.twitter.com/kZ68nJE9tb— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of more intense attacks on US forces and Israel as the war raged for the fourth day.
“The enemy must await continuous punitive attacks; the gates of hell will open more and more, moment by moment, upon the United States and Israel," spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini told state TV.
Israeli rescuers and police said at least seven people were wounded after the latest salvo of missiles fired from Iran, including in Tel Aviv and in several sites in central Israel.
The Iranian Red Crescent said that more than 780 people have been killed nationwide since the US and Israeli strikes began.
First Published:
March 03, 2026, 20:33 IST
News world US-Israeli Strikes Flatten Building Where Council To Elect Khamenei’s Successor Was Meeting | Video
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