An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday hit the building of a body tasked with electing Iran’s new supreme leader, the IDF’s spokesman said, after former leader Ali Khamenei was killed by Israel on Saturday.
The assembly is tasked with appointing, supervising, and potentially dismissing the supreme leader.
“The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom,” south of Tehran, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed that the Israeli Air Force had struck the building in Qom where senior clerics were said to have gathered to choose Iran’s new supreme leader.
The Assembly of Experts has 88 members, though it was unclear how many of them were at the building at the time of the strike, according to an Israeli defense source.
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Channel 12 news reported that none of the 88 members were in the building at the time of the strike. Without citing any sources, the network said the clerics did not go to the building, and only clerks counting the votes for the appointment of the next supreme leader were there.
Defrin said the results of the strike were still being examined.
Local media showed footage of the building severely damaged in the strikes. There was no confirmed information on any potential casualties.
Geolocation of the building struck today in this video in the Iranian city of Qom. 34.62534, 50.87639
The building belongs to the “Assembly of Religious Experts” who select the next Islamic Revolutions’ Supreme Leader.https://t.co/nH9hNR5Tou pic.twitter.com/TgUGCYmmhv
— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) March 3, 2026
The Mehr news agency claimed that the building was “old” and “is not used for meetings.”
Tasnim reported that strikes had already targeted the main headquarters of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Monday.
Iran declared on Sunday the start of a transition process after confirming Khamenei’s death.
The plans include the formation of an interim leadership council, including the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and vets electoral candidates.
Also playing a central role is Iran’s top security chief, Ali Larijani.
The interim leadership council will lead the country while a permanent successor is found for the supreme leader.
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