Iran marked the first hours after the naming of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader by launching missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states, who have begun expressing increasing anger over Tehran’s retaliatory strikes.
"Iran fires first wave of missiles under the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei toward occupied territories," Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said on Telegram early on March 9.
The post carried a photo showing a projectile with the words: "At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba."
The broadcaster said there were "massive explosions heard in the center of the occupied territories." Israel said one woman was moderately injured in attacks before the all-clear was given.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq all reported incoming missiles and drones overnight as Tehran lashed out and the US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spread through the region.
Midnight Announcement
Shortly after midnight on March 9, Iran named hard-liner Khamenei to replace his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader, likely putting him directly in the sights of the US and Israeli militaries.
The elder Khamenei, 86, was killed on February 28 as US and Israeli forces launched a war against Iran. US and Israeli officials, including US President Donald Trump, have suggested any new leader could suffer the same fate as the previous one.
'An Unacceptable Choice'
Trump earlier called Mojtaba Khamenei -- then seen as the favorite to succeed his father -- an "unacceptable choice" and a "lightweight" and insisted that anyone chosen by Tehran must be acceptable to Washington.
Trump told ABC News that “if he [the next supreme leader] doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” adding that there are “numerous people that could qualify” for the role.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) immediately pledged support for Khamenei, who was believed to have close ties to the hard-line military organization. The head of the regular armed forces also hailed the selection, seen as a victory for hard-line elements.
Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called Khamenei's election as "a source of joy and hope."
As supreme leader, the 56-year-old Khamenei will have final say in all political and military matters and, effectively, hold dictatorial powers over the country.
Trump, in an interview with the Times of Israel shortly after the Khamenei announcement, declined to comment directly on the move, saying only, "We'll see what happens."
Iran Targets Gulf States
What happened, initially at least, was a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones being launched throughout the region.
One of the most damaging attacks appeared to be in the small Gulf island nation of Bahrain, where the Health Ministry on March 9 said an Iranian drone attack wounded 32 civilians.
Four of the injured were "serious cases," including children, the ministry said.
Witnesses later reported seeing thick smoke rising from the direction of Bahrain's Bapco oil refinery, Reuters said. The refinery had also been hit by Iranian missiles four days ago, causing limited damage.
Explosions on March 9 also rocked the Qatari capital, Doha, which has been targeted by waves of Iranian drones and missiles since Iran launched its widespread retaliation campaign across the Gulf.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said continued attacks by Iran would lead to further escalation and have "serious impact" on relations "now and in the future." It assailed the "blatant Iranian attacks against a number of Arab countries and the resulting targeting of civilians, vital facilities, and diplomatic missions."
The US State Department ordered nonessential diplomatic personnel and families at the embassy in Riyadh to leave Saudi Arabia because of the safety concerns.
Iraqi Kurdistan Territory Hit
Drones struck near a US military base close to Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, security sources said, while security forces said they intercepted a volley of drones and missiles targeting a US diplomatic post near the Baghdad airport.
Thousands of self-exiled Iranian Kurds have established bases in the semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region. The Iranian Kurds, although keeping ties, maintain separate militias from the Iraqi Kurds in the region.
Reports have suggested that Iranian Kurds -- both inside and outside Iran -- could launch an offensive against the regime in Tehran. However, Trump has said he does not want the Kurds to join the US-Israeli effort, not wanting to see them “hurt or killed” or to complicate the situation further.
Israel late on March 9 said it launched a wave of strikes targeting "regime infrastructure" in central Iran as its first reaction following the announcement of the new supreme leader.
Israeli forces have "begun an additional wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime infrastructure in central Iran," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Meanwhile, the disruptions to the Middle East oil sector and shipping sent oil prices surging more than 25 percent on March 8, a potentially damaging development to the world economy.
Trump said the rise in crude prices was a "small price to pay" to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat. Trump and Israel accuse Iran of attempting to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its program is strictly for civilian purposes.
