In a significant escalation of regional tensions, joint American and Israeli military operations have struck a critical Iranian governmental building in the holy city of Qom. According to reports from Iranian state-affiliated media on Tuesday, the targeted structure housed the Assembly of Experts—the powerful body constitutionally mandated with appointing, overseeing, and potentially dismissing Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Tasnim News Agency characterized the attack as perpetrated by ‘American-Zionist criminals,’ releasing footage showing severe structural damage to the facility. While no immediate casualty figures were provided, the symbolic timing of the strike appears deliberate. A senior Israeli official informed Fox News that the operation occurred while the assembly was ‘counting the votes for the appointment of the supreme leader,’ following the death of former leader Ali Khamenei in a previous wave of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday.
This incident represents the second assault on institutions central to Iran’s leadership transition. Tasnim further reported that the main headquarters of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran had been targeted just one day prior, on Monday. In response to the power vacuum, Iranian authorities have activated constitutional contingency plans. These measures include establishing an interim leadership council comprising the president, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist from the Guardian Council—the body that oversees legislation and electoral vetting.
Adding to the complex political landscape, Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, has emerged as a pivotal powerbroker during this transitional period. The interim council is tasked with governing the nation while the intricate process of selecting a permanent successor to the supreme leader unfolds, a procedure that typically involves meticulous deliberation by the now-targeted Assembly.