Israel says Iran's new supreme leader a 'tyrant' who will continue 'regime's brutality'

Mojtaba Khamenei (Courtesy: Reuters)

Israel's foreign ministry said Monday that Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was a "tyrant" like his slain father, and would continue what it described as the Iranian "regime's brutality".

In a post on X featuring a picture of Mojtaba Khamenei and his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holding guns, the ministry wrote: "Mojtaba Khamenei. Like Father Like Son".

"Mojtaba Khamenei's hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father's rule. Another tyrant to continue the Iranian regime's brutality," the ministry said, in Israel's first reaction to Mojtaba Khamenei's selection as supreme leader following the killing of his father on February 28 in Israeli strikes.

Later, Israel said Tuesday that it had struck an Iranian missile launcher shortly after a barrage fired from the Islamic republic triggered air raid warnings in several Israeli areas.

Late Monday, Israel's military said it identified a round of Iranian missile fire and was working "to intercept the threat."

The Iranian launches sparked air raid warnings in several parts of Israel, forcing people to head for shelter.

But the Magen David Adom emergency services said it received no reports of casualties following the latest round of Iranian fire.

The Israeli military then said it "had struck the missile launcher that launched missiles toward the State of Israel a short while ago."

Before the latest Iranian attack, Israel had announced what it called a "broad wave" of strikes on Tehran, the second such assault launched on Monday.