"Thousands of people gathered in Arak, capital of Markazi Province in central Iran, during rallies in support of the government and the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, while protesting against ongoing US-Israeli strikes. Footage shows large crowds marching through the city, many waving Iranian flags and chanting slogans backing the leadership. The date of the footage could not be independently verified at the time of publication. The demonstrations come amid continued military escalation following joint strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Tehran later announced retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli territory and US military assets in the region, with explosions reported in several Gulf countries. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict, after which his son Mojtaba Khamenei was named as his successor. The escalation has also drawn in Hezbollah in Lebanon, which said it intervened in the conflict in response to Khamenei’s killing. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, contributing to oil prices rising above $100 per barrel and increasing pressure on global markets."