BREAKING – Israel just bоmbed and destrоyed the assembly building where about 90 senior clerics were choosing the next Supreme Leader of Iran

In early March 2026, a major military confrontation erupted between Israel, the United States, and Iran following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US‑Israeli strikes. The situation quickly escalated into broader attacks across multiple fronts, including missile strikes, air campaigns, and retaliatory actions from Iran and allied militias.

Israeli forces struck a building in the holy city of Qom that houses Iran’s Assembly of Experts — the clerical body tasked under the constitution with selecting a new supreme leader after the death of Khamenei. Israeli military sources said the strike was timed to disrupt the assembly’s session to choose his successor.

The Assembly of Experts is a constitutional body of 88 senior clerics elected for eight‑year terms. Its main role is to appoint, supervise, and — in theory — dismiss the Supreme Leader. The vote to select a successor is normally held after a leader’s death, and this body was reportedly convening for that purpose in Qom.

Reports are not clear yet on whether clerics were present in the building at the exact time of the strike or how many, if any, were killed or wounded. Iranian state media and independent sources have offered differing accounts — some say the building was severely damaged, others say it was not in use at that moment and no lives were lost.

Strategic and symbolic impact
Targeting the Assembly of Experts — far from being just physical damage — represents a direct strike on the organizational core of Iran’s system of governance. Analysts interpret this as both a tactical move to slow or halt the appointment of a successor and a psychological blow to the Iranian regime’s theocratic structure.

The airstrike on the clerical body is just one of many actions in an expanding war. There have been strikes across Tehran, including on government and security buildings, and retaliation from Iran and its allied forces with missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. positions. Ten­sions have also affected neighboring states and raised global security concerns.

Uncertain future of leadership in Iran
With Khamenei dead and the Assembly of Experts under attack, Iran’s leadership transition is highly uncertain. Constitutional mechanisms exist for naming a successor, but disruption to the assembly and ongoing military pressure complicate that process. Political analysts say the chosen successor will shape Iran’s internal stability and its external conflicts for years.