Iran's senior clerics ‘exposed’ after building strike in Qom, succession choice looms

Senior Iranian clerics would have been left "exposed" after an Israeli airstrike hit a meeting place where they were supposed to be convening Tuesday — days after a strike leveled the Tehran compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , a defense analyst has claimed. The clerics, members of the Assembly of Experts, had reportedly planned to meet at the location in Qom to deliberate succession plans for Khamenei, who was killed in the strikes, according to Israel" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23342" data-entity-type="organization">The Times of Israel . "This second strike would be another embarrassment to what has been left of the regime," Kobi Michael , a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital. "It indicates intelligence dominance and superiority because any movement is detected, meaning they would feel exposed," Michael added. TRUMP SAYS Iran’S SUCCESSION BENCH WIPED OUT AS ISRAELI STRIKE HITS LEADERSHIP DELIBERATIONS "As of now, the leadership would feel insecure and hunted, with all of their plans collapsing one after another." "They would feel totally isolated and understand that the biggest risk might come from home — from a potential uprising next," he added. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed that the Israeli Air Force struck the building where senior clerics had planned to assemble, Israel" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23342" data-entity-type="organization">The Times of Israel reported. KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR Iran’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY It remains unclear how many of the 88 members were present at the time of the strike, according to an Israeli defense source cited by the outlet. The second strike on Iran's leadership comes amid a broader military campaign . As previously reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. forces have struck more than 1,700 targets across Iran in the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to a U.S. Central Command fact sheet. The campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s security apparatus and neutralizing what officials describe as imminent threats. According to U.S. Central Command, targets have included command-and-control centers , the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Joint Headquarters, the IRGC Aerospace Forces headquarters, integrated air defense systems and ballistic missile sites. FIREBRAND ANTI-AMERICAN CLERIC ALIREZA ARAFI SEEN AS CONTENDER TO REPLACE Iran’S KHAMENEI "We need strategic patience and determination , and in several weeks most of the job will be accomplished," Michael added. "Even if the regime does not collapse, Iran will not be like we used to know. "I assume that the U.S. and Israel will establish a very robust monitoring mechanism that will enable them to react whenever the regime tries to reconstitute its military capacities again."