Oil Prices Soar as Iran Conflict Threatens Middle East Supply

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, calling the decision a reflection of national unity in the face of attacks by the United States and Israel.

In a statement on Telegram, Pezeshkian said the choice strengthened the “resilience of the Iranian people” and said the new leader would guide the country through the conflict with “wise leadership” built on the foundation left by his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening wave of recent attacks.

Tehran’s move is widely seen as a signal that Iran intends to maintain its hardline stance despite mounting pressure. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appeared to underline that message, launching its first missiles under the new leadership and posting an image of a projectile captioned, “At Your Service, Sayyid Mojtaba.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that any Iranian leader pursuing “Israel’s destruction” would be considered a legitimate target. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham echoed that sentiment, saying it may only be “a matter of time” before Mojtaba Khamenei meets the same fate as his father.

U.S. President Donald Trump declined to comment directly, telling reporters: “We’ll see what happens.”