People ride on a motorbike as smoke billows after overnight airstrikes on oil depots on March 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. The US and Israel continued their joint attack on Iran while Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and US bases. Photo: VCG

　　"Weapons are ominous tools, and should not be used without discretion."

　　As a US-Israeli military operation against Iran entered its ninth day on Sunday with no de-escalation in sight, Iran"s Assembly of Experts has reportedly finalized its decision on a new supreme leader. The spiraling crisis in the Middle East has alarmed many countries, drawing a warning on Sunday from China"s top diplomat Wang Yi, who invoked a proverb from ancient Chinese philosopher Han Feizi to caution that war is an "ominous tool" not to be used lightly.

　　The swift selection of a successor - coming just a week after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed killed in the US-Israeli airstrike - sends a defiant message that Iran"s organizational structure remains intact despite hopes from the US and Israel that Iran would fall into internal chaos. Analysts noted that the new supreme leader will have a far-reaching impact on the scope of the war, Iran"s future and the balance of power in the Middle East.

　　Consensus on successor

　　

　　According to Xinhua, a majority consensus over a successor to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has more or less been reached, Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, a member of the Assembly, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

　　But some obstacles remain to be addressed regarding the process, he said, adding that the work must be accurate to avoid controversy.

　　The name of the new supreme leader has yet to be announced as of press time.