The military campaign to dismantle the Iranian government reached a new religious and political peak on Tuesday as US and Israeli missiles struck the Assembly of Experts building in the holy city of Qom. This strike targets the very heart of Iran’s power structure, as the Assembly is the body responsible for choosing, overseeing, and firing the Supreme Leader.
This attack comes just days after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial wave of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday. By hitting the Assembly’s buildings in both Qom and Tehran, the coalition appears to be trying to stop the regime from naming a permanent successor.
A Strike on the Transition Power
Local media, including the Tasnim news agency, described the attackers as “American-Zionist criminals” and showed footage of the historic building in Qom suffering severe structural damage. While the Mehr news agency claimed the building was not currently being used for active meetings, the symbolic weight of the strike is massive.
The Assembly of Experts is a group of 88 clerics who hold the keys to Iran’s future. By destroying their headquarters, the US and Israel are making it physically and logistically difficult for the religious leadership to gather and legitimize a new ruler.
Iran’s Desperate Transition Process
Despite the falling bombs, Iran declared the start of a transition process on Sunday. An Interim Leadership Council has been formed to prevent a total collapse of the government. This council includes:
•The President of Iran
•The Head of the Judiciary
•A top jurist from the Guardian Council
•Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security chief, who is playing a central role in keeping the military and intelligence services together.
Permanent Instability?
Military analysts suggest that targeting the Assembly of Experts is a move to ensure that no “Khamenei 2.0” can emerge. President Trump recently noted that the “worst-case scenario” would be a new leader who is just as hardline as the last. By keeping the country under “interim” rule, the coalition may be trying to create a power vacuum that allows for a total change in the Iranian system of government.
While there is no official word yet on casualties from the Qom strike, the message from Washington and Tel Aviv is clear: the old religious order is no longer recognized, and its ability to appoint a new leader is being systematically destroyed.
