Qom

Qom is a city in Iran that has become a focal point in recent news due to the ongoing conflict between Iran, the US, and Israel. The city is significant because it houses the Assembly of Experts, a body of senior clerics responsible for choosing the successor to the Supreme Leader. Following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, the Assembly of Experts was reportedly planning to meet in Qom to deliberate on the succession. However, the Assembly's building in Qom was targeted in an airstrike, leaving senior clerics potentially "exposed" and raising questions about security lapses. This attack, coupled with the overall intensification of attacks across Iran, including strikes on Tehran and the Natanz nuclear facility, highlights Qom's current relevance as a key location in the unfolding crisis and the struggle for power within Iran.