Iran live updates: 7th killed service member is identified

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second-oldest son of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the next supreme leader of Iran, according to Iranian state media.

He has become the third leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran by the vote of the Assembly of Experts, state media reported Sunday.

Mojtaba, 56, has long been viewed by analysts as a possible successor to Khamenei, who was killed last Saturday by a series of airstrikes in Tehran in the opening salvos of the U.S.-Israeli campaign.

Analysts have broadly characterized Mojtaba as a powerful figure with limited public and international profiles, operating somewhat behind the scenes but enjoying major influence.

A U.S. service member has died from injuries received during the initial attacks by the Iranian regime across the Middle East, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday.

The service member, whose name was not immediately released, was seriously wounded on March 1 in an Iranian attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, according to CENTCOM.

Seven service members have now been killed in action during Operation Epic Fury, which was launched on Feb. 28, according to CENTCOM.

Six service members died Feb. 28 in the same attack at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, a commercial harbor that doubles as a logistics hub for the U.S. military.

In addition to the dead, a U.S. official told ABC News that nine U.S. service members have been seriously wounded from attacks across the region.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that it killed five Iranian senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a strike on a hotel in Beirut, Lebanon.

The commanders were targeted by the Israeli Navy, according to the IDF. The commanders were part of the IRGC's Quds Force's Lebanon Corps, which serves as a central liaison between the Hezbollah terrorist organization and the Iranian regime, the IDF said.

"Its senior officials synchronize activities across the various terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon. The commanders eliminated in the strike were advancing terrorist activity across Lebanon while hiding in a civilian hotel," the IDF said.

The commanders were targeted following the elimination of the commander of the Lebanon Corps, Daoud Ali Zadea, last week, the IDF said.

-ABC News' Dorit Long

The State Department said Sunday that it is now aware of 32,000 Americans who have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since fighting began in Iran.

The figures do not include many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle East but are still in transit back to the United States, officials said.

The State Department said it has completed nearly two dozen charter flights that have safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East.

While commercial flight availability across the region continues to improve, the State Department's charter flights and ground transport operations continue to ramp up as security conditions allow, Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for Global Public Affairs, said in a statement on X.

"At this time, more than half of American citizens who requested help departing turn down U.S. Government-provided transportation options when contacted. Some American citizens wish to remain in country, while others prefer an alternative departure option," Johnson said.

Through the State Department's around-the-clock Task Force, the agency has directly assisted more than 19,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance, Johnson said.

Johnson said Americans in need of travel assistance in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel should complete the Crisis Intake Form.

Americans in the Middle East who need assistance can call the U.S. Department of State at (202) 501-4444.

-ABC News' Chris Boccia