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Mojtaba Khamenei: The Rise of Iran’s New Supreme Leader

                      A picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has emerged as Iran’s new supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. His appointment by the Assembly of Experts comes at a moment of profound crisis for Iran, as the country faces regional war, internal instability, and intense international scrutiny.  A Secretive Heir With Deep Establishment Ties Mojtaba, long considered influential behind the scenes, is a mid-ranking cleric with strong connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His political rise signals continuity of Iran’s hardline establishment, despite the country’s ideological discomfort with hereditary succession.  A Leader Shaped by Conflict and Loss His ascension comes amid the “Ramadan War,” during which he was reportedly wound...

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US Stock Futures Retreat as Tech Stocks Lose Steam


US stock futures inched lower on Tuesday as the previous day’s tech rally lost steam after a Samsung profit warning took the shine off the sector. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.4% and roughly 0.6%, respectively, after both indexes closed with their best single-day gains since November. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.4%.

Samsung’s update weighed on hopes for a rebound in the PC and mobile sector, a key market for its memory chips. The Korean company said it expects a 35% drop in fourth-quarter operating income, far short of estimates, as demand continues to lag.

Investors are currently focused on the December consumer inflation reading due Thursday and what it could mean for the chances of an easing in interest rates. But two Federal Reserve officials on Monday poured cold water on Wall Street’s already fading expectations that a cut could come in the next few months.

Meanwhile, oil prices rose over 2%, recouping some of Monday’s near 4% fall as investors weighed the impact of tensions in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut crude prices.


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