Iran’s military, security apparatus and political leadership have formally pledged allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed the country’s new Supreme Leader late on Sunday night, March 8, in a succession that signals Tehran’s intent to keep its political future firmly insulated from external pressure.
Among those who have declared fealty to the new Ayatollah are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, the armed forces, the Basij paramilitary organisation, the Supreme National Security Council, and the ministries of defence and intelligence. This is a consolidation of institutional loyalty that underscores the speed and intent with which the establishment has moved to stabilise the country’s leadership.
The appointment drew an expression of dismay from United States President Donald Trump, who has positioned the new leadership as evidence of Iran’s determination to resist outside interference in its political affairs.
In a statement to The Times of Israel on Sunday, Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would arrive at a mutual decision on the question of ending the war in Iran.
“I think it’s mutual… a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account,” he said.
The remarks come at a particularly fraught moment, with Iranian missile and drone attacks extending across the Gulf region even as the country’s new leadership is being consolidated at home.
In the early hours of Monday, March 9, fresh Iranian missile and drone attacks were reported from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, widening the geographic scope of hostilities.
In Qatar, Iranian missiles were intercepted in the early hours of Monday and explosions were heard in Doha. In Bahrain, at least 32 people were reported injured following a drone strike in the Sitra region.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said Iranian missiles targeting the Shaybah oil fields, managed by national oil company Aramco, were successfully intercepted. The ministry added that two drones targeting Riyadh were shot down, along with a projectile that had been aimed at the diplomatic quarter of the capital.
Saudi Arabia sharply condemned Iran’s missile and drone strikes, with the Foreign Ministry calling the attacks against the kingdom and its Gulf neighbours “reprehensible” and stating they could not “be accepted or justified under any circumstances.”
In a statement posted on its official X account, the ministry said the kingdom renewed its “categorical condemnation of the reprehensible Iranian aggressions against the Kingdom, the Gulf Cooperation Council states, a number of Arab and Islamic countries, and friendly nations.”
In the UAE, a major fire was reported in Fujairah following the interception of a projectile over the emirate.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh moved swiftly to address concerns following the attacks on Saudi territory, confirming that no Indian national had been killed. The mission said an Indian citizen injured in an incident on Sunday was receiving treatment at a government hospital.
“It is a matter of relief that there has been no Indian fatality in the unfortunate incident at Al Kharj yesterday evening,” the mission said in a post on social media on Monday morning.
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Monday it was closely tracking the evolving situation in West Asia and its impact on air travel between India and the region, with airlines making operational adjustments to ensure passenger safety.
Data from March 7 showed 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arriving from the region, carrying 8,175 passengers. For March 8, carriers including Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa had planned 49 inbound flights from airports across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat and Jeddah, subject to operational feasibility. The ministry said Indian carriers were planning 50 flights for March 9.
The ministry added that airlines were continuously assessing ground conditions at other airports in the region to determine whether additional flights could be operated. Airfares were also being monitored to prevent any undue price surge during the period.
This post was last modified on March 9, 2026 12:29 pm