Iran defies Trump and names a supreme leader. Here’s what to know.

Summary

Apple News Today: Iran Defies Trump and Names a Supreme Leader — Here’s What to Know

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Cecilia Ley
Summary by: Apple News

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into Iran's selection of a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei. Cecilia Ley and a range of expert reporters unravel the geopolitical implications of Mojtaba’s appointment, the latest wave of military strikes across the region, and the resulting shockwaves in global markets. The podcast further covers a deadly strike on an Iranian school, disputes about responsibility, economic fallout from the conflict, and a brief roundup of other major headlines.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei

• Announcement & Context

  • Iran’s clerics named Mojtaba Khamenei the new supreme leader after his father’s assassination last week. The military and parliament quickly pledged their loyalty, emphasizing religious and national duty.
  • “Mojtaba is regarded as a conservative hardliner, a former gatekeeper of his father and close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.” — Cecilia Ley [00:32]

• Implications for Iran & the Region

  • Mojtaba is seen as a move for stability within Iran’s elite, but remains an enigmatic figure without a publicly articulated doctrine.
  • “This is a person who's been strengthening his ties with the security apparatus and the high echelon of the IRGC in the past 20 years.” — Kasharia Janadh (BBC Persian) [02:04]
  • The clerics’ decision is interpreted as a message of defiance—towards the US, Israel, and internal reformers.
  • “If they were looking…to end this war and go through diplomacy, they would have elected a more moderate figure.” — Kasharia Janadh [02:20]

• International Response

  • President Trump publicly called Mojtaba’s appointment “unacceptable,” insisting the US should have had input.
  • Israel stated anyone in the Iranian regime is a legitimate target, promising to continue operations against the new leadership.
  • “It really doesn't matter if it is the father or the son…we will continue with our efforts…to make sure that we actually dismantle this threat.” — Danny Danone (Israel's UN Ambassador) [02:56]

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2. Intensification of the Iran-Israel Conflict

• Israeli Strikes on Tehran

  • Over the weekend, Israel launched wide-scale attacks targeting government headquarters and oil infrastructure, creating apocalyptic scenes in Tehran.
  • “It’s an absolutely apocalyptic scene here…still on fire, still burning…thick black smoke through the entire city.” — Chris Wright (CNN reporting from Tehran) [03:45]

• Attacks Beyond Iran

  • Bahrain accused Iran of targeting its water desalination plant—a first in the conflict. Iran, in turn, accused the US of precedent-setting strikes on water infrastructure.
  • Growing civilian casualties: Lebanon reports nearly 400 dead; Iran’s UN ambassador reports over 1,300 dead; the US lost a seventh service member [04:13].

• Escalation Under New Leadership

  • Iran launched renewed strikes at US and Israeli targets just hours after Mojtaba’s appointment [04:48].

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3. Global Economic Impact

• Oil Spikes & Market Shocks

  • Crude oil surpassed $100/barrel, levels not seen since 2022; the vital Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
  • Key exporters, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, are reducing or halting shipments.
  • “If this conflict does go on longer, the economic implications of a protracted disruption in this region are going to be felt everywhere.” — David J. Lynch (Washington Post) [00:23 & 06:59]

• US Impact & Political Reactions

  • US fuel prices climb; Energy Secretary Chris Wright reassures that high prices will be temporary.
  • “We want it back below $3/gallon and it will be again before too long...this is a week's, this is not a month's thing.” — Chris Wright [05:57]

• Broader Supply Chain Disruptions

  • Europe and Asia hardest hit due to dependency on Hormuz. Shipping and air cargo flows slow further, affecting everything from semiconductors to fast fashion.
  • “We place an order with Amazon or Walmart...and the whole global economy is kinda set up on that basis. At the moment, you’re seeing impacts on both ocean cargo…and air freight.” — David J. Lynch [07:08]
  • Disrupted air freight means many “high-value” products are delayed.
  • US farmers may soon feel the pinch, as fertilizer producers are in the conflict zone and April is peak order time [08:04].
  • “Here in the US…we’re starting to see some raindrops fall, but the tornado hasn’t really hit us yet. If this goes on, it will inevitably…” — David J. Lynch [08:34]

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4. The Iranian School Strike: Blame, Evidence, and Outrage [08:51–12:31]

• Incident Summary

  • A deadly strike hits a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing over 170, most of them children. Initial US administration claims suggest Iran is to blame, but no evidence is given.

• Investigation and Media Findings

  • “What we've heard…preliminary findings show it's increasingly likely a US Munition was used in the strikes.” — Jontel Da Silva (NBC News) [09:37]
  • US officials privately briefed Congress the area was a US target; however, the school had been separated from the adjacent IRGC base for years.
  • Human Rights Watch and satellite analysis support the theory that the school was directly struck, possibly due to “target misidentification.”

• Evidence of US Involvement

  • Verified state footage shows a Tomahawk missile (only fielded by the US) hitting the complex; the school is enveloped in smoke prior to the adjacent base being hit.
  • “The pattern of strikes on the compound, including on the school, suggest being directly struck and by highly accurate guided munitions.” — via Jontel Da Silva / Wes Bryant [10:30]

• International Reaction

  • UN High Commissioner Volker Turk calls for a “prompt, transparent, and impartial” investigation, and for accountability and redress for victims.
  • “We need this to happen very quickly and we need to also make sure that there is accountability as well as redress for the victims.” — Volker Turk (via Kasharia Janadh) [11:56]

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5. Brief Headlines [12:31–End]

• Severe Tornado Outbreak

  • Multiple states hit; at least eight dead, 90 million affected.
  • “Someone is like, ‘everybody get to the middle of the store under the mezzanine right now,’ and everyone rushes...could see the tornado coming through the paint department. Paint department's gone.” — Isabel Ramsey (Michigan tornado survivor) [13:22–13:40]

• Voice of America Leadership Ruled Illegal

  • Judge rules Carrie Lake’s appointment to lead the agency was invalid, voiding mass layoffs ordered under the Trump administration.

• US Olympic Skater Alyssa Liu’s Hiatus

  • After winning gold, Liu skips world championships to rest; her return to the sport is hailed as remarkable.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Iranian Leadership Succession:

  • “If they were looking…to end this war and go through diplomacy, they would have elected a more moderate figure.” — Kasharia Janadh [02:20]

• On the Israeli Response:

  • “It really doesn't matter if it is the father or the son…we will continue with our efforts…to make sure that we actually dismantle this threat.” — Danny Danone [02:56]

• On the Economic Impact:

  • “Here in the US…we’re starting to see some raindrops fall, but the tornado hasn’t really hit us yet." — David J. Lynch [08:34]

• On the School Strike:

  • “...likely a US Munition was used…the school was at one point part of the compound, but that might have changed over time.” — Jontel Da Silva [09:49–10:00]

• On US Accountability:

  • “We need this to happen very quickly and we need to also make sure that there is accountability as well as redress for the victims.” — Volker Turk (via Kasharia Janadh) [11:56]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:32 — Mojtaba Khamenei named supreme leader of Iran
• 02:04 — Analysis of Mojtaba’s background and implications
• 02:56 — Israeli reaction
• 03:45 — Firsthand report of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran
• 05:57 — Oil prices & Energy Secretary interview
• 07:03 — Global logistics/logistics expert breakdown
• 08:34 — US economic impact, supply chain vulnerability
• 08:51 — Strike on Iranian school: narratives and investigation
• 10:30 — Satellite evidence and Human Rights Watch analysis
• 11:56 — UN reaction, call for accountability
• 12:31 — US tornado outbreak, other headlines

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Conclusion

The episode provides a clear-eyed, in-depth overview of Iran’s historic leadership transition and the escalating regional conflict, with balanced coverage on military, diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic fronts. Comprehensive reporting and expert analysis outline the global stakes, while notable voices provide critical insight into uncertainty about the war, its effects, and international responsibility.

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For further updates on these stories and more, listen to Apple News every weekday morning or check the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Cecilia Ley]

Good morning. Iran picks its new leader after a weekend of fresh attacks on its capital. NBC News looks at what's known about a deadly strike that hit an Iranian school. And as oil prices spike, the Washington Post explains how a drawn out war could affect the US Economy.

[David J. Lynch]

If this conflict does go on longer, the economic implications of a protracted disruption in this region are going to be felt Everywhere.

[Cecilia Ley]

It's Monday, March 9th. I'm Cecilia Ley and this is Apple News. Today, Iran's clerics have made their decision. Mojtaba Khamenei has been named the new supreme leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated one week ago. Iranian state media broadcast the moment the announcement was made to crowds of pro regime supporters in Tehran. The military has pledged its allegiance and the parliament's speaker said it was people's religious and national duty to follow the new leader. Mojtaba is regarded as a conservative hardliner, a former gatekeeper of his father and close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US diplomatic cables published in the late 2000s described him as the behind the robes and the move will be seen as an attempt to maintain consistency within the country's power circles. But in truth, little is really known about the new supreme leader. He seldom appears in public and has never comprehensively outlined his political or theological positions. The BBC's Persian service reporter, Kasharia Janadh told the network that the cleric's choice sent a clear message to President Trump and to reformers from inside the country.

[Kasharia Janadh]

The reality is this is a person who's been strengthening his ties with the security apparatus and the high echelon of the IRGC in the past 20 years. So now he's going to be the symbol of defiance of the Islamic Republic towards the United States and Israel. If they were looking trying to find a solution to end this war and go through diplomacy, they would have elected a more moderate figure.

[Cecilia Ley]

Last week, Trump told Axios appointing Mojtaba would be unacceptable and insisted he be involved in the decision. There's now already a target on Mojtaba's back. On Sunday, the Israeli government warned it would pursue whoever was appointed. Following Iran's announcement, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danone, told the BBC that anyone involved in the regime was a legitimate target.

[Danny Danone]

It really doesn't matter if it is the father or the son. You have to look at the policy and the policy of this regime is the same policy to promote terror, to sow chaos and to create a situation that they have control over the region So I think for us it's more of the same. We will continue with our efforts of this operation to make sure that we actually dismantle this threat.

[Cecilia Ley]

The new Ayatollah now presides over a country that is suffering a barrage of attacks. Over the weekend, Israel launched new wide scale strikes on Iran, hitting government headquarters and or oil infrastructure in Tehran. Footage shared on social media showed bright orange skies from the massive fires. CNN's Fred Plaikin had rare reporting from a Tehran oil facility.

[Chris Wright]

It's an absolutely apocalyptic scene here. The front gate of the facility complete ruins. The facility appears to be completely in ruins now after these massive airstrikes. And again, still on fire, still burning. And you can see that thick black smoke through the entire city across all of Tehran. It's been raining this morning in Tehran. There was oil mixed into the rain. So this is definitely a massive incident.

[Cecilia Ley]

Meanwhile, the tiny Gulf island of Bahrain accused Iran of targeting its water desalination plant, seemingly the first time the regime has struck at crucial drinking water infrastructure. Iran accused the US of setting a precedent by attacking its own water infrastructure, a claim U.S. central Command has denied. And the death tolls have continued to grow. Lebanon said waves of strikes had left nearly 400 dead there. Iran's UN ambassador put the number killed in his country at over 1300. And the US announced the death of a seventh service member over the weekend. Overnight, local time, Iran announced new strikes at U. S. Israeli targets, the first under its new leader. You can find the very latest on the Apple news. As strikes target vital infrastructure, the global economy is on edge. Last night, crude oil prices rose above $100 a barrel, highs not seen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Traders are warning that the sector was facing one of its greatest ever challenges. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil tankers, remains effectively shut thanks to Iranian threats. And major oil exporters like SA Arabia and Kuwait are either pulling production back sharply or shutting fields entirely. In the US Drivers are already feeling the pinch at the pump. As of Sunday, a gallon of regular gasoline rose to an average of $3.45. Energy Secretary Chris Wright spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday.

[Chris Wright]

Gasoline today still $1.50 a gallon cheaper than it was in the middle of the Biden administration. But you're right, we want it back below $3 a gallon and it will be again before too long. Well, what do you mean by too long? How much longer? Look, you never know exactly the timeframe of this, but in the Worst case, this is a week's, this is not a month's thing.

[Cecilia Ley]

Speaking shortly before trading began, President Trump posted on social media that oil prices would, quote, drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, and that the spike was a very small price to pay for US and world safety. The Washington Post reports that so far, Europe and Asia are bearing the brunt of the war's economic impact. That's because they rely more heavily on energy imports that travel through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the flow of ships, air cargo and other commerce in and around the region has been severely slowed down, adding yet another disruption in the global supply chain that has been tested over the past five years.

[David J. Lynch]

It's something that all of us completely take for granted when it's working normally.

[Cecilia Ley]

David J. Lynch is a global economics correspondent for the Washington Post.

[David J. Lynch]

And we place an order with Amazon or Walmart or whomever, and we expect those goods to arrive pronto, no excuses. And the whole global economy is kind of set up on that basis. So at the moment, you're seeing impacts on both the ocean cargo, the container ships that go back and forth, as well as air freight in particular.

[Cecilia Ley]

Disrupted air freight means a lot of product isn't moving as it normally would.

[David J. Lynch]

You've got both the dedicated freighter aircraft not flying, but also a lot of cargo travels in the belly of the passenger jets that you and I fly on. So when those aren't flying, that's another hit to air cargo. And so it's things like semiconductors, high value computer chips, flowers, aerospace components, fast fashion, a whole range of sort of not niche products, but it's, you know, a bit of a kaleidoscope, a commercial kaleidoscope of various things.

[Cecilia Ley]

US Farmers are keeping a watchful eye on the situation. Lynch thinks they could be among the first Americans to feel a financial hit from the war. That's because three of the world's top 10 producers of crucial fertilizers are in the conflict zone. Farmers usually place their biggest orders around April, meaning the market will be stretched tight. Ultimately, how the global economy fares depends on how long the conflict lasts. But neither Trump or his administration have signaled a hard end date.

[David J. Lynch]

Here in the US we're, you know, we're starting to see some raindrops fall, but the tornado hasn't really hit us yet. If this goes on, it will inevitably, because it is one big global economy.

[Cecilia Ley]

At the very start of the war, a devastating strike hit a girls elementary school in southern Iran, which state media has said killed over 170 people, most of them children. Since then, analysts have been trying to work out who was responsible. Over the weekend, President Trump blamed Iran, a claim he provided without evidence and one his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, hedged.

[David J. Lynch]

Based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran.

[Danny Danone]

Is that true?

[Chris Wright]

Mr. Hicksat we're certainly investigating, but the only side that targets civilians is Iran.

[David J. Lynch]

We think it was done.

[Danny Danone]

We think it was done by Iran.

[Cecilia Ley]

But detailed analysis from multiple news outlets don't support Trump's assertion.

[Jontel Da Silva]

What we've heard from sources that the Trump administration's preliminary findings show it's increasingly likely a US Munition was used in the strikes.

[Cecilia Ley]

Jontel Da Silva is a reporter with NBC News.

[Jontel Da Silva]

That's according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the investigation and that the US Is looking into whether the attack might have been the result of bad intelligence or poor targeting.

[Cecilia Ley]

According to NBC's sources, the administration told members of Congress in a closed door briefing that they were targeting that area. U.S. officials have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility so far. The school appears to have been adjacent to a base operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Corps, though a government official told Da Silva the base was no longer operational. Satellite analysis from NBC and elsewhere suggests the school was at one point part of the compound, but that might have changed over time.

[Jontel Da Silva]

The school does appear to have been walled off and made distinct from the rest of the compound over the years. And a Human Rights Watch analysis did find the same thing, that this school had a separate entrance to the street from the rest of the compound. And they came away with this conclusion, that the pattern of strikes on the compound, including on the school, suggest being directly struck and by highly accurate guided munitions rather than, say, errant weapons whose guidance or propulsion systems might have failed or somehow been disrupted and struck the area.

[Cecilia Ley]

On Sunday, a newly released video from Iranian state media verified by the New York Times and other outlets, builds the case that an American missile likely hit the school. In it, a Tomahawk cruise missile is seen striking a naval base next to the school. When the camera pans to the right, smoke is rising from the school building, suggesting that it was hit before the base was. The US Is the only country known to have Tomahawk missiles. Iran and Israel do not have them. The Times also spoke to Wes Bryant, a former Pentagon advisor on civilian harm. He concluded that the compound's buildings were hit with, quote, picture perfect target strikes. A critic of the Trump administration, Bryant said the attack could have been a case of, quote, target misidentification the UN's Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk addressed the incident last Friday.

[Kasharia Janadh]

What we have asked for is obviously prompt, transparent and impartial investigations, which we are understand has been announced by the United States of America. We need this to happen very quickly and we need to also make sure that there is accountability as well as redress for the victims.

[Jontel Da Silva]

It's not clear when it will be completed, and it's a question that I've put to experts as well. At what point should a party, if a party has launched strikes on a given area, you know, how quickly should they be able to come to that conclusion? And it's not really entirely clear.

[Cecilia Ley]

According to Reuters, if a US Role were to be confirmed, the strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of U.S. conflicts in the Middle East. And finally, a few other stories were following an outbreak of tornadoes hit multiple states across the country over the weekend, leaving at least eight people dead in Michigan and Oklahoma, according to Fox Weather. A severe storm system stretching 1500 miles hit a broad section of the country and affected roughly 90 million people. In Three Rivers, a city in southwest Michigan, a twister ripped through a home improvement store while customers and workers were inside. Here is Isabel Ramsey, an employee there, speaking to a local NBC affiliate about

[Isabel Ramsey]

her experience over the intercom. Someone is like, everybody get to the middle of the store under the mezzanine right now, and everyone rushes to the

[Jontel Da Silva]

middle of the store.

[Isabel Ramsey]

And then everyone's getting under the tables. And then someone's like, there's a tornado over there. And we could see the tornado coming through the paint department. Paint department's gone.

[Cecilia Ley]

Accuweather reports more severe weather could hit parts of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. A federal judge ruled Saturday that CARRIE LAKE, President Trump's choice to head the U.S. agency for Global Media, did not have the legal authority to largely dismantle Voice of America, a service that transmitted news to countries outside of the US and since World War II, the ruling said the appointment of Lake, a former broadcast journalist, to oversee the agency was invalid because she was not confirmed by the Senate. The judge's decision effectively voids mass layoffs at the agency that Lake ordered last year. A thousand workers may be able to return to their jobs if the decision is held up in higher courts. Lake said the administration will appeal, calling the ruling, quote, bogus. Before Trump was reelected, Voice of America provided new services to countries with limited press freedoms. It was broadcast in 49 languages and had hundreds of millions of listeners around the globe. And finally, fresh off her gold medal win in Milan Cortina. US Figure skater Alyssa Liu says she is skipping out on the world Championships set to be held later this month in Prague. Liu posted on social media Sunday that a lot of exciting things have been happening for her since she returned from the Winter Games, and that she's taking some time off, saying, quote, see y' all next season. Liu became the first American woman to win Olympic Gold since 2002, when she won the title last month. NBC Sports notes it's not uncommon for Olympians to take a break for fatigue or for other opportunities. Liu herself retired from the Sport after the 2022 Beijing Games, citing burnout, which made her return to the sport into the top of the Olympic podium all that more remarkable. On Thursday, Liu will be honored in her hometown of Oakland with highly anticipated homecoming celebration. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated article. Coming up next, Variety reports on Disney's new CEO Josh d', Amaro, who's contending with some tough challenges as he charts a new path for the company. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.