Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has been elected the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, on Sunday night officially appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, 56 years old, as the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of martyred Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of ​Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ​assembly said in a statement.

The announcement, issued by the Secretariat of the Assembly of Experts, begins with invocations in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and extends heartfelt condolences to the noble and free nation of Islamic Iran.

It honors the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, whose heavenly ascension marks the end of an era of wise and steadfast leadership. Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred on February 28 in a terrorist US and Israeli strike.

The statement also pays tribute to other exalted martyrs, including high-ranking commanders of the armed forces and the innocent students of the Shajra Tayyiba School in Minab City, all victims of the barbaric assaults by criminal America and the Zionist regime.

The statement reveres the exalted institution of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) during the occultation of the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his reappearance), emphasizing its pivotal role in the Islamic Republic’s system.

It celebrates the 47 years of exemplary governance by the Imams of the Revolution, rooted in dignity, independence, and divine authority.

Following meticulous studies and a decisive vote by the respected representatives, guided by religious duty and accountability before God Almighty, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei (may Allah protect him) was introduced as the new Leader.

The statement expresses gratitude to the members of the provisional council under Article 111 for their interim service and calls upon the entire noble nation of Iran –especially the elites, intellectuals, scholars of the seminaries, and university communities — to pledge unwavering allegiance to the new leadership.

It urges unity around the axis of Wilayat al-Faqih, a bulwark against the plots of arrogant powers.

In closing, the Assembly of Experts statement invokes Almighty God’s continued grace and mercy upon Iran and its resilient people, affirming that the Islamic Revolution remains an indomitable force for justice and independence.

Qatari authorities have arrested more than 300 people for sharing images and what they described as “misleading information” during days of attacks by Iran, the interior ministry said on Monday.

The arrests echo measures across the Gulf as Iran targets airports, military bases, energy installations and residential areas with daily drones and missiles.

Those arrested “filmed and circulated video clips and published misleading information and rumours that could stir public opinion”, a statement said.

The people of “various nationalities” were held by the Department for Combating Economic and Cyber Crimes at the ministry´s General Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

The announcement follows a spate of arrests elsewhere in the region.

In Bahrain, four people were arrested for “filming and broadcasting clips about the effects of Iranian attacks and spreading false news”, the interior ministry said on Friday.

And in Kuwait, authorities on Saturday said three people had been arrested over a video showing them mocking the situation in the country.

Residents in the United Arab Emirates have received text messages warning of possible legal action for sharing sensitive images or “reposting unreliable information”.

The UAE attorney general’s office also warned against “filming, publishing, or circulating images and videos documenting incident sites or damage caused by falling projectiles or shrapnel”, the Emirates News Agency said.

Saudi Arabia has issued similar warnings.

Despite the warnings, images of missiles, drones and the fallout of the war continue to circulate on social media and in group chats.

The first week of the US military campaign against Iran has cost around $6 billion, including about $4 billion spent on munitions and advanced missile interceptors, as Pentagon officials told Congress additional funding will likely be needed to sustain operations and replenish stockpiles.

The figures were disclosed during congressional discussions this week.

According to a report in The New York Times, about 4,000 Iranian targets have been struck, including missile launchers, naval vessels and air defence systems, significantly weakening Tehran’s ability to retaliate.

Gen Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said Iran’s ballistic missile launches have dropped by about 90% since the start of the conflict, while drone attacks have declined by roughly 83%.

Despite the losses, Iran still retains significant military capability, including an estimated half of its missile arsenal, he added.

Lawmakers in Washington are preparing for a possible supplemental funding request from the administration in the coming weeks as the rapid spending comes under scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans.

Critics have warned that expensive interceptor missiles — some costing millions of dollars each — are being used at a pace that could strain the US defence industrial base and create shortages in other strategic theatres.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran, reportedly martyring more than 1,200 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials.

Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf countries, US bases, diplomatic facilities and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.

The escalation has also raised concerns about global energy supplies as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route carrying about 20 million barrels of oil per day, has declined sharply.