What we know on the ninth day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

By James Legge, Sophie Tanno, CNN

(CNN) — Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei the country’s new supreme leader following the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, state-run media announced early Monday.

Israel’s onslaught against Iran has entered a new phase, targeting energy resources in the country including fuel storage sites.

Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US-friendly Gulf nations continued Sunday, despite President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing for previous attacks on the oil-rich kingdoms and suggesting they would end.

Here’s what to know on day nine.

What are the main headlines?

• Khamenei dynasty: Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader on Monday. He was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of elected senior clerics tasked with choosing the supreme leader. The assembly has chosen a new leader only once before since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. It was when Ali Khamenei was hastily selected following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini more than three decades ago. The Assembly called on Iranians to “pledge allegiance to the leadership and maintain unity.” Although Mojtaba Khamenei had not held an official role in the regime, he is known to have strong links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• Iranian oil targeted: Israel has struck oil storage sites in Iran as part of the next phase of the war. A CNN team in Tehran saw blackened rain fall on the city on Sunday morning.
• Widescale strikes: The Israeli military said later Sunday it had begun “wide-scale” strikes on Iranian regime targets in Tehran and in “additional areas” in the country. The military also said it hit the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aerospace force.
• Gulf attacks continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions Sunday morning. In Saudi Arabia, two people were killed and 12 others injured after a military projectile struck a residential facility, Saudi Civil Defense said, the first reported deaths in the kingdom since the war began.
• US service member killed: An American service member has died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial attacks across the Middle East, according to US Central Command, marking the seventh death among US troops since the conflict began.

What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?

• Focus on Gulf states: Iran is using more of its firepower on neighboring Gulf states than it is on targeting Israel, with a spokesperson for the IRGC saying Tehran is using 60% of its offensive capabilities to attack US assets in the Middle East, and 40% to fire at targets of the Israeli regime. “We consider the Americans the main enemy in this war, and for this reason, they are prioritized for punishment,” the spokesperson said.
• Over 1,200 dead: At least 1,205 civilians have been killed in Iran since the conflict began last Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The total, which includes 194 children, is as of 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, HRANA said.
• Central Beirut hit: At least four people have been killed and 10 others wounded after an Israeli strike hit a hotel in central Beirut, Reuters reported early Sunday, citing Lebanon’s health ministry. The attack notably hit the heart of Beirut, rather than the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. Overall, at least 394 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began striking the country earlier this week, according to its health ministry.
• IRIS Dena sinking: Iran said at least 104 crew members were killed and 32 others injured in a US attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena last week, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported Sunday, citing official sources. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.
• School strike: New video appears to confirm a US airstrike targeted a naval base next to an Iranian elementary school where more than 160 students were killed last month, adding to a body of evidence contradicting Trump’s recent claims casting blame on Iran.

What’s happening in the rest of region?

• Strikes continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions. The Kuwaiti Army said that a “wave of hostile drones” targeted fuel storage at Kuwait International Airport. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar also all reported fresh aerial attacks.
• Israeli casualties: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, according to the Israeli military, marking the country’s first military deaths since the war began. Additionally, at least 14 Israeli soldiers have been injured in the latest fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Travel chaos continues: Some airlines in the Middle East are running limited flight schedules, while other operations remain suspended, as aviation disruption persists. Thousands of people who were stranded in the region have been evacuated on repatriation flights in recent days.
• Gas price spikes: US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argued Sunday that the rise in gas prices amid the war with Iran is not due to a global oil shortage, but rather a “transit issue” caused by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Saudi deaths: Two people were killed and 12 others injured in Saudi Arabia after a military projectile struck a residential facility in Al-Kharj, about 107 km (66 miles) southeast of Riyadh, Saudi Civil Defense said. The incident marks the first reported deaths in the kingdom since the start of the war with Iran.

The latest from Trump

• Presidential warning: Trump said earlier on Sunday that Iran’s new supreme leader “is not going to last long” without his support. Speaking before Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment was officially announced, Trump said he would view his elevation to Iran’s supreme leader as an “unacceptable” outcome. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said.
• ‘A little glitch’: Trump called higher gas prices “a little glitch,” appearing unconcerned about the effect on Americans at the pump. “We had to take this detour. I knew exactly what was going to happen with the detour,” Trump told ABC News in an interview.

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