Iran’s president vows support for new supreme leader

ISTANBUL

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed support on Monday for Iran’s new Supeme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Mojtaba, son of the country’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in a US-Israeli strike last week, was declared his successor early Monday.

“The valuable election of Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is a manifestation of the people's will to govern,” Pezeshkian said on US social media company X.

“The country's problems can be solved with his wise leadership and by creating an atmosphere based on trust and participation of the people. I ask God for his success in preserving the sacred unity and building a progressive and independent Iran.”

More than 1,200 people have been killed, including top military officials, and over 10,000 others injured in a US-Israeli offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.