An Israeli airstrike has reportedly struck a building in Qom housing Iran’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, during a critical session to determine the country’s next Supreme Leader, according to U.S. defense sources cited by Axios.
The strike is said to have taken place on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, while members of the Assembly were reportedly in the process of counting votes related to the succession of Iran’s highest religious and political authority. The succession process was initiated following the reported death of Ali Khamenei earlier in the ongoing conflict, during operations in which U.S. and Israeli forces targeted senior Iranian leadership figures.
According to a U.S. defense official quoted by Axios, the objective of the strike was to disrupt the succession proceedings. The Assembly of Experts, a constitutionally mandated clerical council, holds the exclusive authority to appoint and oversee Iran’s Supreme Leader, making it one of the most influential institutions in the Islamic Republic’s political structure.
At this stage, there has been no independent confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding the extent of the damage, the number of officials present at the time of the strike, or whether there were casualties. Information emerging from the ground remains limited amid heightened military activity and restricted communications.
The reported strike comes against the backdrop of escalating hostilities between Iran and a coalition of U.S. and Israeli forces. In recent days, both countries have intensified operations targeting what they describe as strategic military and leadership assets within Iran. Iranian officials have not yet issued a formal response to the reported strike in Qom.
Qom, one of Iran’s most significant religious centers, holds particular symbolic and institutional importance as the seat of senior clerical authorities and religious seminaries. Any confirmed strike on a site associated with the Assembly of Experts would mark a significant development in the conflict, potentially widening its political and regional ramifications.
International observers have expressed concern that attacks targeting governance or succession mechanisms could further destabilize an already volatile regional environment. Analysts note that interference in the leadership transition of a state as strategically significant as Iran could have far-reaching consequences across the Middle East.
