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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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Markets Reel as Geopolitical Tensions Spike Oil and Sink Futures

US stock futures fell sharply Monday as escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran rattled global markets and sent investors fleeing risk assets. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slid more than 500 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures also dropped over 1%, reflecting heightened uncertainty and renewed volatility. 

Oil prices surged in response to the unrest, with Brent crude jumping between 10% and 13% in early trading before stabilizing near the high-$70 range. West Texas Intermediate climbed more than 8%, driven by fears of supply disruptions after attacks near the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passage for global crude shipments. 

The geopolitical shockwaves extended across global markets. Asian equities tumbled, gold strengthened, and investors braced for inflationary pressures tied to rising energy costs. The combination of military escalation and fragile market sentiment—already strained by volatility in tech and AI-related stocks—has amplified concerns about the economic outlook heading into March. 

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