The Israeli military reportedly destroyed a building belonging to Iran’s Council of Experts in the city of Qom on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, according to early reports. The strike comes as tensions escalate between the two nations and raises concerns about a wider regional conflict.
Video footage surfaced showing a large explosion rocking the Iranian capital following the airstrike targeting the building. The Council of Experts is a key body within the Iranian political system, responsible for selecting the country’s Supreme Leader.
Israel has intensified its strikes across several locations in Iran, announcing it had as well targeted the Iranian presidential office and the Supreme National Security Council building in Tehran. The military stated it had launched a ninth wave of strikes in Tehran, and initiated a large-scale operation targeting what it called the “terrorist infrastructure” of the Iranian regime.
According to a report from Axios, citing an Israeli military official, the airstrike on the Council of Experts building in Qom was intended to disrupt the process of selecting a latest Supreme Leader. The official stated, “The air force carried out an air raid on the building of the Iranian Council of Experts in the city of Qom on Tuesday, in an attempt to thwart the selection of a new Supreme Leader.” The official added that the strike occurred while votes were being tallied, and the number of the Council’s 88 members inside the building at the time of the attack, as well as the extent of the damage, remained unclear. “We wanted to prevent them from choosing a new Supreme Leader,” the official said.
The development underscores growing regional tensions and could have significant implications for Iran’s political future. The Council of Experts is considered a fundamental component of the Iranian system, with the constitutional mandate to appoint and remove the Supreme Leader.
