Iran's ruling clerics on Sunday appointed the slain leader's son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, defying threats from the United States and Israel to oppose him.
Nine days after US-Israeli strikes killed the elder Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and plunged the Middle East into war, the clerical government's Assembly of Experts convened to choose their next leader.
kAm|@;E232 z92>6?6:[ de[ Q:D 2AA@:?E65 2?5 :?EC@5F465 2D E96 E9:C5 =6256C @7 E96 D24C65 DJDE6> @7 E96 xD=2>:4 #6AF3=:4 @7 xC2?[ 32D65 @? E96 564:D:G6 G@E6 @7 E96 C6DA64E65 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D @7 E96 pDD6>3=J @7 tIA6CEDQ[ E96 4=6C:42= 3@5J D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAmxE D2:5 E92E E96 4=6C:42= 3@5J Q5:5 ?@E 96D:E2E6 7@C 2 >:?FE6Q :? 49@@D:?8 2 ?6H =6256C[ 56DA:E6 QE96 3CFE2= 288C6DD:@? @7 E96 4C:>:?2= p>6C:42 2?5 E96 6G:= +:@?:DE C68:>6Q]k^Am
kAm&$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 92D AC6G:@FD=J 5:D>:DD65 E96 J@F?86C z92>6?6: 2D 2 Q=:89EH6:89EQ[ 2?5 :?D:DE65 282:? @? $F?52J E92E 96 D9@F=5 92G6 2 D2J :? E96 ?6H =6256CVD 2AA@:?E>6?E]k^Am
kAmQx7 96 5@6D?VE 86E 2AAC@G2= 7C@> FD 96VD ?@E 8@:?8 E@ =2DE =@?8[Q 96 E@=5 pqr }6HD 367@C6 E96 2??@F?46>6?E H2D >256]k^Am
kAmqFE %69C2?VD E@A 5:A=@>2E D2:5 $F?52J E92E E96 564:D:@? H2D xC2?VD 2=@?6[ 255:?8 :E H@F=5 Q2==@H ?@3@5J E@ :?E6C76C6 :? @FC 5@>6DE:4 2772:CDQ]k^Am
kAm$A62<:?8 @? }qrVD Q|66E E96 !C6DDQ[ u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C p332D pC28949: H6?E @? E@ 56>2?5 %CF>A Q2A@=@8:D6 E@ A6@A=6 @7 E96 C68:@?Q 7@C DE2CE:?8 E96 H2C]k^Am
kAm%96 J@F?86C z92>6?6: :D C682C565 2D 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6 7:8FC6[ ?@E23=J 3642FD6 @7 9:D E:6D H:E9 E96 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5D[ E96 :56@=@8:42= 2C> @7 E96 xD=2>:4 C6AF3=:4VD >:=:E2CJ]Â k^Am
kAmxDC26=VD >:=:E2CJ 925 AC6G:@FD=J H2C?65 2?J DF446DD@C E92E QH6 H:== ?@E 96D:E2E6 E@ E2C86E J@FQ] Â Â k^Am
k9am\ p:C VF?3C62E923=6V \k^9am
kAm~G6C?:89E[ xDC26= DECF4< 7:G6 @:= 724:=:E:6D :? 2?5 2C@F?5 %69C2?[ <:==:?8 2E =62DE 7@FC A6@A=6 2?5 DA2C<:?8 3=2K6D E92E =67E E96 D<:6D 7:==65 H:E9 24C:5 D>@<6]Â k^Am
kAm%69C2?VD 8@G6C?@C E@=5 E96 x#}p ?6HD 286?4J E92E 7F6= 5:DEC:3FE:@? 925 366? QE6>A@C2C:=J :?E6CCFAE65Q :? E96 42A:E2=]Â k^Am
kAmp 52C< 92K6 9F?8 @G6C E96 4:EJ @7 `_ >:==:@? A6@A=6[ 3=@4<:?8 @FE E96 DF?[ 2?5 E96 D>6== @7 3FC?:?8 7F6= =:?86C65 :? E96 2:C]Â k^Am
kAmpFE9@C:E:6D H2C?65 E96 7F>6D 4@F=5 36 E@I:4 2?5 FC865 4:E:K6?D E@ DE2J :?5@@CD[ 3FE >2?J H:?5@HD H6C6 3=@H? @FE 3J E96 7@C46 @7 E96 3=2DED] Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 3=2K6 92D 366? 3FC?:?8 7@C >@C6 E92? `a 9@FCD[ E96 2:C 92D 364@>6 F?3C62E923=6] x 42?VE 6G6? 8@ @FE E@ 5@ E96 52:=J D9@AA:?8[Q D2:5 @?6 bd\J62C\@=5 7C@> %69C2?] Â Â k^Am
kAmQpE 7:CDE[ x DFAA@CE65 E9:D H2C] p7E6C z92>6?6:VD 562E9[ x 46=63C2E65 H:E9 >J 7C:6?5Di H6 5C2?< H:?6 2?5 H6 52?465]Â k^Am
kAmQqFE D:?46 J6DE6C52J]]] A6@A=6 D2J E96C6VD ?@E 6G6? 2?J 82D@=:?6 =67E 2E E96 82D DE2E:@?D[Q D96 D2:5[ :? 2 E6IE >6DD286 E@ 4@?E24ED :? tFC@A6]k^Am
kAmpD E96 H2C 6IE6?565 :?E@ :ED ?:?E9 52J[ xC2?VD #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5D D2:5 E96J 925 6?@F89 DFAA=:6D E@ 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 5C@?6 2?5 >:DD:=6 H2C @G6C E96 |:55=6 t2DE 7@C FA E@ D:I >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 3=2DED H6C6 962C5 @G6C xDC26=VD 4@>>6C4:2= 9F3 %6= pG:G 27E6C E96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ D2:5 :E 925 56E64E65 2 D2=G@ @7 >:DD:=6D 7C@> xC2?] %96 |286? s2G:5 p5@> 6>6C86?4J D6CG:46DÂ D2:5 D:I A6@A=6 H6C6 H@F?565 :? 46?EC2= xDC26=]k^Am
k9am\ p5G2?465 >:DD:=6D \k^9am
kAm%CF>A 282:? C67FD65 E@ CF=6 @FE D6?5:?8 p>6C:42? 8C@F?5 EC@@AD :?E@ xC2?[ 3FE 4@?E:?F65 E@ :?D:DE E92E E96 H2C H2D 2== 3FE H@? 56DA:E6 E96 @?8@:?8 xC2?:2? >:DD:=6 2?5 5C@?6 DEC:<6D]Â k^Am
kAmvF2C5D DA@<6D>2? p=: |@92>>25 }2:?: D2:5 xC2? 925 D@ 72C FD65 @?=J 7:CDE\ 2?5 D64@?5\86?6C2E:@? >:DD:=6D[ 3FE H@F=5 FD6 Q25G2?465 2?5 =6DD\FD65 =@?8\C2?86 >:DD:=6DQ :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD]Â k^Am
kAm$2F5: pC23:2 D2:5 $F?52J E92E EH@ A6@A=6 H6C6 <:==65 2?5 `a H@F?565 3J 2 Q>:=:E2CJ AC@;64E:=6Q :? p= z92C; AC@G:?46[ 92G:?8 62C=:6C D2:5 :E :?E6C46AE65 2 H2G6 @7 5C@?6D 962565 7@C E2C86ED :?4=F5:?8 E96 5:A=@>2E:4 BF2CE6C @7 :ED 42A:E2= #:J259]Â k^Am
kAmzFH2:E[ >62?H9:=6[ D2:5 2? 2EE24< 9:E 7F6= E2?<D 2E :ED :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2:CA@CE 2?5 q29C2:? C6A@CE65 2 H2E6C 56D2=:?2E:@? A=2?E 925 366? 52>2865]k^Am
kAmxC2?VD 962=E9 >:?:DECJ D2:5 $F?52J E92E 2E =62DE `[a__ 4:G:=:2?D 925 366? <:==65 2?5 2C@F?5 `_[___ H@F?565 \\ 7:8FC6D pu! 4@F=5 ?@E :?56A6?56?E=J G6C:7J]k^Am
kAm{632?@?VD 962=E9 >:?:DE6C D2:5 2E =62DE bhc A6@A=6 925 366? <:==65 :? xDC26=: 2:C DEC:<6D D:?46 {632?@? H2D 5C28865 :?E@ E96 H2C 2 H66< 28@[ :?4=F5:?8 gb 49:=5C6? 2?5 ca H@>6?]k^Am
kAm%H@ xDC26=: D@=5:6CD 92G6 366? <:==65 5FC:?8 E96 7:89E:?8 :? D@FE96C? {632?@?[ E96 >:=:E2CJ D2:5]k^Am
kAm%CF>A[ >62?H9:=6[ 2EE6?565 E96 C6EFC? @7 E96 3@5:6D @7 D:I p>6C:42? D6CG:46 >6>36CD <:==65 :? 2 5C@?6 DEC:<6 @? 2 &$ 32D6 :? zFH2:E =2DE $F?52J]k^Am
k9am\ }@ 4=62C H2J @FE \k^9am
kAmp?2=JDED H2C? E96C6 :D DE:== ?@ 4=62C A2E9 E@ 6?5:?8 2 4@?7=:4E E92E &$ 2?5 xDC26=: @77:4:2=D D2J 4@F=5 =2DE 2 >@?E9 @C =@?86C]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 92D DF886DE65 xC2?VD 64@?@>J 4@F=5 36 C63F:=E :7 2 =6256C Q2446AE23=6Q E@ (2D9:?8E@? C6A=246D E96 =2E6 DFAC6>6 =6256C]k^Am
kAm~? $F?52J[ !@A6 {6@ )x' AC2J65 QE92E E96 C@2C @7 E96 3@>3D >2J 462D6[ E96 H62A@?D >2J 72== D:=6?E[ 2?5 2 DA246 7@C 5:2=@8F6 >2J @A6?Q]k^Am
kAm3FCD\54\D4E^56Dk^Am


