Qom
Iran's holiest Shia city; seat of the Assembly of Experts and world's largest seminary network.
On 28 February, US-Israeli airstrikes hit Qom, Iran's leading Shia clerical centre, and placed its Assembly of Experts headquarters at the centre of a succession crisis.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did US-Israeli strikes target Iran's holy city?
Timeline for Qom
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Iran Conflict 2026Background
Qom is Iran's pre-eminent Shia holy city. It is home to the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh and to the world's largest network of Shia seminaries. The city trains clerics who shape the religious institutions of the Islamic Republic.
Qom also has a constitutional role because it hosts the Assembly of Experts, which appoints and may dismiss Iran's Supreme Leader. The Assembly's work became internationally visible during the March 2026 succession, when it announced Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader.
The destruction of the Assembly headquarters in Qom on 1 March 2026 showed how closely the city's religious authority and state power are joined.
Qom's clerical hub was struck
On 28 February, US-Israeli strikes included Qom among their opening-night targets, bringing the war to Iran's foremost Shia clerical centre. For Qom, the attack reached beyond a symbolic religious site because the city hosts the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for choosing Iran's Supreme Leader.
On 1 March, the Assembly of Experts headquarters in Qom was reported destroyed as Iran faced a leadership transition. The damage made Qom a direct site of constitutional disruption as well as a religious centre affected by the conflict.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 September 2026. Editorial standards.