Start Here Iran’s New Supreme Leader
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Mar 9, 2026 Aaron Katursky, ABC News investigative correspondent covering protests and security in New York. Martha Raddatz, ABC’s global affairs correspondent with frontline Middle East reporting. James Longman, ABC’s international correspondent focused on Iran and regional conflict. They discuss Iran’s new supreme leader, strikes and civilian harm, investigations into a girls’ school strike, and violent protests in New York.
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New Supreme Leader Maintains Hardline Continuity
- Iran named Mushtaba Khamenei as supreme leader days into the war, keeping leadership within a hardline clerical lineage.
- James Longman notes Mushtaba is 56, part of the Council of Experts, and likely a hardliner like his father Ali Khamenei, so little change in direction is expected.
Infrastructure Attacks Raise Environmental and State Stability Risks
- Israeli strikes have focused on Iranian energy and infrastructure, producing massive fires and environmental warnings.
- James Longman describes oil depots burning in Tehran and warnings about acid rain and toxins affecting civilians.
Ground Ops Considered To Secure Enriched Uranium
- The U.S. and Israel consider special forces operations to secure enriched uranium at Isfahan to prevent weapons development.
- Longman cites reporting of ~970 pounds enriched to 60% at Isfahan, enough for roughly 11 weapons if centrifuges remain operational.