Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's next supreme leader, Iranian state media reports

He is the son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

ByDavid Brennan, Jon Haworth, Kevin Shalvey, Leah Sarnoff, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: March 9, 2026, 5:55 AM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His successor is yet to be named.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 05, 2026, 5:23 PM EST

Over 30 Iranian ships destroyed: CENTCOM commander

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said over 30 Iranian ships have been destroyed since the U.S. began its strikes.

"You may have heard the president say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true at the moment. We're now up over 30 ships," Cooper said during a briefing Thursday.

Adm. Brad Cooper speaks at a press conference on March 5, 2026.
Pool via ABC News

He also said the U.S. hit an Iranian drone carrier a few hours ago.

"As we speak, it's on fire," he said.

Mar 05, 2026, 5:22 PM EST

Hegseth: US has enough munitions to sustain campaign 'as long as we need to'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. has enough munitions to sustain its campaign against Iran "as long as we need to," while giving an update at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday.

"We've got no shortage of munitions," he said. "Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a press conference on March 5, 2026.
Pool via ABC News
Mar 05, 2026, 4:50 PM EST

House fails to adopt war powers resolution

The House failed to adopt a war powers resolution that attempted to curtail President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran, by a vote of 212-219.

Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson bucked GOP leaders and voted in favor, while four Democrats voted against the resolution -- Reps. Greg Landsman, Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden and Juan Vargas.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Mar 05, 2026, 3:42 PM EST

Trump to ABC: 'They are decimated'

President Donald Trump told ABC News on Thursday that 58% of Iran’s missile launchers have been taken out.

Iran is “decimated for a 10-year period before they could build it back,” the president said.

A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital of Tehran, March 5, 2026.
Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

As for the timeline of strikes in Iran, Trump said, "Well, there are many people who say it's already over. It's not over to me. It's over when I want it to be."

When it comes to the next leader of Iran, Trump said, "We don't want them to put anybody in there unless it is approved by us."

"We don't want some [U.S.] president in 10 years get stuck with this problem and not know what to do with it,” he said.

-ABC News’ Jonathan Karl

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