Iran’s choice of Mojtaba Khamenei appears to close path to swift end to war

Written by: Parisa Hafezi and Maayan Lubell

DUBAI/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Reuters) – Iran appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader to replace his slain father on Monday, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in control and are blocking any path to a quick end to the war in the Middle East.

The possibility that the disruption to global energy supply, already one of the most serious disruptions in history, would last longer than previously expected has caused oil prices to jump to record levels and global stock markets to plummet.

Khamenei, a 56-year-old Shiite cleric who has a power base among security forces and their vast business empire, was declared unacceptable by US President Donald Trump, who has demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender.

THE IRANIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM IS ASSEMBLYING AFTER MOJTABA

Iran’s political system rallied around the new religious leader; politicians and institutions made strongly worded commitments of loyalty. It was announced that public ceremonies to swear allegiance would be held later on Monday.

In the statement made by the defense council, it was said: “We will obey the Commander-in-Chief until the last drop of our blood.”

Mojtaba’s father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in one of the first attacks on Iran more than a week ago.

Mojtaba was seen as the leading candidate ahead of Sunday’s vote by the Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 clerics tasked with electing the new religious leader who has the final say on all state matters.

Despite public oaths of loyalty, Iranian society remains deeply divided. Many Iranians publicly celebrated the death of the elder Khamenei, weeks after security forces killed thousands of anti-government protesters in the worst civil unrest since Iran’s 1979 revolution.

But there was little sign of anti-government activity during the bombing campaign. Activists say it would not be safe to take to the streets when the country is under attack.

Israel says its war aim is to overthrow Iran’s religious system of government. Washington was initially more cautious, saying its goal was to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear program, but Trump stepped up his demands, also demanding the establishment of a cohesive Iranian government.

Israel had said that it would kill whoever succeeds Khamenei if Iran does not end its hostile policies. Trump on Sunday reiterated his demand that Washington have a say in the selection of the new religious leader.

“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he told ABC News, adding that ending the war would be a “mutual” decision with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the newspaper, in an interview with the Times of Israel after the new religious leader was named, Trump refused to answer, saying only, “We’ll see what happens.”

OIL EXCEEDED 100 DOLLARS PER BARREL

The war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and seaborne liquefied gas is transported near the Iranian coast. With tankers unable to sail for more than a week, producers ran out of tanks and had to stop pumping.

Brent crude futures were up 12.5 percent at $104.30 a barrel at 10:17 GMT, having previously risen to as high as 119.50, at one point on track for the biggest jump in a single day.

The prospect of a prolonged energy crisis, resurrecting memories of the Middle East oil shock of the 1970s, sent stock markets in Asia and Europe into a tailspin; It will likely hit Wall Street when futures open on Monday, it showed.

The price of gas has major political repercussion in the United States, where Trump’s Republicans hope to retain control of Congress in midterm elections in November. He was re-elected in 2024 after promising to end foreign wars and reduce living costs.

“Short-term oil prices that will plummet once the Iranian nuclear threat is eliminated is a very small price to pay for the United States, the World, Security and Peace,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday night. “ONLY FOOLS THINK DIFFERENTLY!”

Tehran was choked with thick black smoke from attacks that hit an oil refinery; There has been an increase in attacks targeting Iran’s domestic energy resources, which appear to have triggered attacks on Washington’s Arab allies in the Gulf.

Thick smoke billowed from a massive refinery in Bahrain, where state oil company ‌Bapco declared force majeure after being hit overnight.

The Israeli army said on Monday that it launched attacks in central Iran and hit the Lebanese capital Beirut, expanding Israel’s operation after Iran-backed Hezbollah militias opened fire on the border.

The US military says the seventh American injured during Iran’s first counterstrike a week ago has died.

The Israeli army said on Sunday that two of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, the first deaths among Israeli soldiers since the resumption of Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities.

At least four people were killed in an Israeli attack on an apartment in the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut early Sunday. Israel said it targeted Iranian commanders serving in Beirut.

US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and injured thousands more, according to Iran’s ambassador to the UN. Lebanon reported that many people were killed there.

Ambulance workers in Israel said one person died from shrapnel wounds at a construction site on Monday, bringing the death toll from Iranian attacks to 11.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus, Writing by Michael Perry and Peter Graff, Editing by Lincoln Feast and Timothy Heritage)