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

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

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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 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.

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday. (Getty Images)

“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, The Times of Israel reported.

KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY

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A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, Monday, in Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)

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.

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FIREBRAND ANTI-AMERICAN CLERIC ALIREZA ARAFI SEEN AS CONTENDER TO REPLACE IRAN’S KHAMENEI

The USS Thomas Hudner fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, Sunday, while at sea. (U.S. Navy/via Getty Images)

“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.

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“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.”

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Where to Watch Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Boxing Live Online

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Where to Watch Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Boxing Live Online

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In a title bout for the undisputed super bantamweight (junior featherweight) championship, Japanese fighter Naoya Inoue takes on fellow Japanese boxer Junto Nakatani in a 12-round match. What’s on the line? Inoue’s IBF, WBC and WBO World Super Bantam title belts. At the end of the contest, one of these fighters will have both titles — or it will end with a draw.

On Saturday, May 2, Inoue (32-0-0) vs. Nakatani (32-0-0) takes place at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan with a start time of 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. Ringwalk for the main event is expected around 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT.

Inoue vs. Nakatani is available as a premium live boxing event, so it’s free to watch for DAZN subscribers.

Not a DAZN subscriber? Right now, you can purchase access to the event starting at $20.99/month. Additionally, DAZN’s “Ultimate Tier” plan goes for just $49.99/month to get access to this PPV event, as well as 11 other PPV events throughout the year at no extra cost. It’s just a flat monthly subscription price. The plan also have access to more than 100 live fights all year long, as well as fight replays, highlights and documentaries.

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The fights during the Inoue vs. Nakatani event are free to watch for subscribers.

Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Odds & Predictions

For the main event, Inoue is the favorite to heavy win against Nakatani. Oddsmakers give Naoya Inoue a -450 moneyline (bet $450 to win $100), while Junto Nakatani received a line of +310 (bet $100 to win $310), as the underdog. Want more odds? Check out the complete odds and wagers at BetMGM.com online here.

Taking place on Saturday, May 2, Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani is available to livestream on DAZN for subscribers.

Main Card, 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT

  • Super Bantamweight (Junior Featherweight): Naoya Inoue (champion) vs. Junto Nakatani — Main Event, IBF, WBC and WBO World Super Bantam Title Fight
  • Bantamweight: Takuma Inoue (champion) vs. Kazuto Ioka — WBC Title Fight
  • Featherweight: Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Reiya Abe
  • Welterweight: Sora Tanaka vs. Jin Sasaki
  • Flyweight: Kosuke Tomioka vs. Shogo Tanaka
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‘Killing off the country’: Iran executes dozens, arrests 4,000+ in war crackdown

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‘Killing off the country’: Iran executes dozens, arrests 4,000+ in war crackdown

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U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict, warning that Tehran has carried out executions, mass arrests, torture and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns while invoking national security.

In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk said at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since Feb. 28, as the regime faces mounting scrutiny over what he described as a sweeping assault on fundamental rights. 

“I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” Türk said.

COULD NARGES MOHAMMADI UNITE IRAN’S OPPOSITION? HUSBAND SAYS IMPRISONED NOBEL LAUREATE STILL FIGHTING

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A protester holds ‘Stop executions in Iran’ and ‘Free Iran’ placards during the demonstration. Demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street in protest against executions in Iran and in support of freedom for Iran.  (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Since the start of the conflict two months ago, the U.N. said nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges. It’s estimated that some 40,000 people were killed by regime forces during January’s uprising.

Türk warned that Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws has enabled authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel, and rely on coerced confessions.

“Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate,” he said, calling on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.

For many Iranian dissidents, the findings reflect an already dire reality.

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A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

“It is bad,” Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, told Fox News Digital. “They’re completely killing off the country.”

On Saturday, it was reported that Iran had executed another athlete, a 21-year-old karate champion. Sassan Azadvar Joonqani was detained in January during the anti-regime protests and was executed by the regime on Thursday, according to a report in Euronews.

Wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi was executed by the regime in March for alleged illegal actions in January’s protests against the authorities.  (The Foreign Desk)

In March, Iran executed another athlete, 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, for protesting against the regime, Fox News Digital reported. 

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Türk’s office said detainees have reportedly faced enforced disappearances, torture, mock executions, and televised confessions, with ethnic and religious minorities including Bahá’ís, Zoroastrians, Kurds and Baluch Iranians facing particular risk.

RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS’ US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

Ali and Kiana Rahmani accept the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 on behalf of their mother, imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, at Oslo City Hall in Norway on Dec. 10, 2023. (Javad Parsa/NTB/Reuters)

Among those cited by the U.N. was imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose condition sharply worsened Friday after what her family described as a catastrophic health crisis following months of being denied specialized care.

According to a statement from the Narges Foundation that was published Friday, Mohammadi was urgently transferred by ambulance from Zanjan Prison to a hospital after suffering two episodes of complete loss of consciousness in a single day, accompanied by severe cardiac distress. The foundation said prison doctors determined her condition could no longer be managed on-site after what her family called a “last-minute” transfer that may have come dangerously late.

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Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that her physical condition had already become increasingly dire after what he described as a violent arrest and deteriorating prison treatment. “She has sustained severe trauma and urgently requires medical attention.”

Rahmani previously said Mohammadi’s medical team and outside specialists had pushed for treatment in Tehran due to her history of multiple heart procedures, while authorities allegedly blocked those recommendations until her condition became life-threatening. Despite her physical decline, Rahmani said, “Spiritually and mentally, Narges remains steadfast.”

IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-REGIME UNREST GROWS

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, tear gas is fired during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP) (UGC via AP)

The U.N. statement, combined with Mohammadi’s emergency hospitalization, has intensified scrutiny of Iran’s prison conditions, which Türk described as marked by overcrowding, medical neglect, and severe human rights abuses.

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Türk also cited dire prison conditions, including overcrowding, shortages of food, water and medicine, and denial of medical care.

The U.N. further highlighted reports of lethal violence in detention facilities, including claims that security forces killed at least five detainees in Chabahar Prison after protests over suspended food distribution.

But while dissidents welcomed the U.N.’s unusually forceful language, some also questioned whether condemnation without action can meaningfully alter conditions, especially as Iran this week was elevated to a vice-chair role on a U.N. nuclear nonproliferation committee.

“The reason why Iranians just don’t trust, don’t like and don’t want to know from the U.N.,” Zand said, is what she described as its repeated failure “to rise to the occasion of responding to the regime and holding their feet to the fire at the right time… with the right amount of pressure.”

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Iranian diaspora activists gathered in front of the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin on Jan. 27, 2024, to protest the increase in death sentences by Iran’s Islamic Republic rulers. The demonstration was organized by the Echo Iran group. (Echo Iran/Middle East Images/AFP)

While she said the latest statement itself was important, Zand argued many view such condemnations as hollow when paired with what they see as institutional legitimacy granted to Tehran.

“They’re making a statement… fine,” she said. “But what are they gonna do about it?”

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Torture claims and a ship that leaves flotilla detainees in Israel

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Torture claims and a ship that leaves flotilla detainees in Israel

The Israeli government has announced that Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila are already in the country, where they will be interrogated imminently. Israel’s foreign ministry made the announcement on social media, without specifying either their point of arrival or the location of the questioning.

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Israel accuses both men of maintaining ties with Hamas through the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, an organisation the United States has designated as a front for the Palestinian Islamist movement. It specifically names Abu Keshek as one of the “leaders” of that structure, while describing Ávila as working for the group in activities it considers illegal.

Both will receive consular visits from their respective countries. In the case of the Spaniard, it will be the Spanish consul in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Brazilian activist Ávila will be assisted by diplomats from his own country.

Albares: (Keshek) should be in Crete with the others

The Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, was unequivocal in an interview with ‘Catalunya Ràdio’: it was, he said, “an illegal detention carried out in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities.”

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For Spain’s top diplomat, Abu Keshek should never have set foot on Israeli soil; he should have been put ashore on the Greek island of Crete together with the rest of the activists.

On Thursday, the foreign ministry urgently summoned the head of the Israeli embassy in Madrid to convey the government’s condemnation.

Spain has also signed up to a joint declaration with ten other countries, including Turkey, Brazil, Colombia and South Africa, stating that the Israeli attacks on the ships and the detention of the activists constitute “flagrant violations of international law.”

Asked whether Abu Keshek may have been tortured, Albares acknowledged that he could not confirm it because there has not yet been direct contact with him. What he did confirm is that several activists needed medical attention in Crete and that the Spanish consul dispatched there had to accompany them.

The flotilla alleges systematic torture

The Global Sumud Flotilla goes further in its accusations.

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In a statement released in the early hours of Saturday, the organisation claims that both Abu Keshek and Ávila were tortured by the Israeli army after being separated from the other 174 activists who were also taken to the Israeli naval vessel Nahshon.

“Eyewitnesses have testified to the screams of Abu Keshek echoing throughout the ship as he was systematically tortured after being separated from the others,” the statement says.

The organisation describes what happened as a “serious escalation” and an “additional war crime”. As many as 35 activists, according to the organisers, had to receive medical treatment as a result of the violence during the Israeli operation.

Family left in the dark and afraid

Sally Issa, the activist’s wife told channel TVE that they had been without information for hours. “We have been given no information about the transfer,” she said. “Israel cannot seize people in international waters. It is an illegal act, and we call on the Spanish government to do everything it can to secure his release.”

What worries her most, she said, is her husband’s physical condition. “We have testimony from activists who were there who said that there has been systematic violence against Saif, and we are gravely concerned for his health,” she explained, adding that beyond lawyers, his family also needs guarantees of medical care.

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The rest of the flotilla’s activists, apart from Abu Keshek and Ávila, disembarked in Crete on Friday, where some were treated in medical centres, and the rest began to be repatriated to their respective countries.

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