An airstrike attributed to Israel targeted the building housing the Assembly of Experts in Qom on Tuesday, the Iranian institution responsible for electing the country's new supreme leader. According to an Israeli defense official, the attack occurred while the 88 members of this religious council were reviewing and counting votes as part of the succession process following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Assembly of Experts, a key theocratic body of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has the constitutional mandate to appoint the successor to the Supreme Leader. Composed of elected religious dignitaries, it plays a central role in the stability of the Iranian political system.
The attack occurred during the ballot counting phase, while several members of the Assembly were present at the scene.
