Israel military has issued a sweeping and explicit threat to pursue every individual who seeks to succeed Iran deceased supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, raising the specter of targeted assassinations that could further destabilise an already combustible region.
The warning, posted in Farsi on the Israel Defense Forces official account on X, signalled a striking escalation in Israeli strategy — one that extends the conflict beyond the battlefield and into the halls of religious and political power in Tehran.
“We want to tell you that the hand of the State of Israel will continue to pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor,” the IDF statement read. “We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning.”
A rare assembly moves to fill a historic void
The warning comes as Iran 88-member Assembly of Experts — a body of senior clerics elected by popular vote and charged with choosing the nation supreme leader — prepares to convene in the city of Qom for the first time in decades. The assembly was thrust into emergency action following the killing of Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes last Saturday, a development that has sent shockwaves through the Islamic Republic and raised urgent questions about succession and governance.
Iran state-affiliated Mehr news agency reported that a senior cleric, Ayatollah Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, said a “majority decision” had been reached on who should fill the vacancy left by Khamenei, but that procedural obstacles remained. The assembly was expected to meet soon, though a firm date had not been confirmed as of Sunday.
The Assembly of Experts is not merely a ceremonial body. Under Iran constitution, it holds ultimate authority over the selection and oversight of the supreme leader — the most powerful position in the Iranian system of government, sitting above the presidency and commanding control over the armed forces, judiciary, and state media.
“Our everyday lives have become about safety, food, communication and protecting family. Political debates that existed before the war fade in importance when people are under attack.”
— Tehran resident, speaking to BBC Your Voice
Drone strikes reach Kuwait as conflict widens
The Israeli threat against Iranian clerics was not the only significant development Sunday. Separate drone attacks struck Kuwait City in the early hours of the morning, setting ablaze a government building operated by the Public Institution for Social Security. The agency confirmed on social media that its main premises were targeted, sustaining material damage before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
The strikes in Kuwait signalled a troubling geographic expansion of a conflict that has already consumed vast swaths of the broader Middle East. Gulf states, which have long sought to remain insulated from the hostilities between Israel and Iran, now face a new and dangerous reality. Kuwait City is home to American military assets and serves as a logistical hub for US operations in the region, making any hostile action against the country a matter of acute concern for Washington.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the Kuwait drone strikes. Iranian-backed militias operating across Iraq and the Gulf have previously conducted similar operations, and analysts said the attacks bore the hallmarks of proxy strikes intended to demonstrate reach without triggering a direct confrontation.
Ordinary Iranians bear the weight of war
Far from the corridors of power, ordinary Iranians described a daily existence transformed by war, fear, and isolation. A man in Tehran, speaking anonymously to BBC Your Voice amid an ongoing internet blackout, painted a portrait of a society stripped to its most fundamental concerns.
“War forces people to confront the human cost,” he said. “Before the conflict, people imagined war could remove the Iranian regime, but the reality is very different now that the country is under fire.”
The Iranian government has restricted internet access, citing national security concerns. Citizens, however, say the blackout has deepened their anxiety rather than enhanced their safety. “Authorities say it is for security reasons, but citizens view the internet as essential for communication and survival,” the Tehran resident noted.
International human rights organisations have called for the immediate restoration of internet service, warning that communications blackouts in conflict zones can exacerbate civilian harm by cutting off access to emergency information and blocking documentation of potential war crimes.
As Israel threat echoes across the region capitals and Iran scrambles to preserve the architecture of its theocratic state, the question of who will ultimately lead the Islamic Republic — and whether that person can survive long enough to govern — has become the defining geopolitical question of the moment. The answer may shape the trajectory of the Middle East for a generation.
