Iran's Supreme Leader Funeral Postponed Amid Reports of Son's Succession

The public farewell ceremony for Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled to begin in Tehran on Wednesday evening, has been postponed indefinitely. Authorities stated the event was moved to a "more suitable time."

Amid the uncertainty, several Western media outlets are reporting that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the deceased leader, has been selected as the new Supreme Leader by an 88-member council of senior Shiite clerics. Iranian state media and officials have not yet officially confirmed this appointment.

The postponement comes on the fifth day of intensified conflict between Israel and Iran. The Israeli military announced it has conducted strikes on security force headquarters in Tehran and targets belonging to the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

Israeli forces claim to have dropped over 5,000 bombs on Iranian targets since hostilities began, with air operations focused on maintaining aerial superiority, particularly over the Tehran region. The Israel Defense Forces (IDAF) released footage purporting to show a strike on an Iranian air defense system near the capital.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile launches targeting Israel and U.S. Military bases located in other Persian Gulf countries. According to Qatari defense officials, one Iranian missile aimed at Qatar was intercepted by air defenses, while another struck the American Al Udeid Air Base.

The human rights group Human Rights Activist News Agency reports that over a thousand civilians have been killed in Iran since the war started, including some of the country's officials.

Israeli media suggests military operations against Iran could continue for at least another one to two weeks, with plans to strike thousands of additional targets. The stated goal is to weaken the Iranian regime and its military capabilities. Some Israeli assessments speculate that Gulf states targeted by Iran during the conflict may join a broader offensive campaign.